Toxicity of Imidacloprid + Beta-Cyfluthrin to the africanized honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

• Autor(a) principal: Rodrigues, Vitor da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: da Conceiçao, Leandro Clemente, Mendonça, Allysson Jonhnny Torres, de Sousa, Caio Araújo Esmael, da Costa, Ewerton Marinho
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Agrarian (Dourados. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.ufgd.edu.br/index.php/agrarian/article/view/13330
• topic: Abelha melífera; Desordem do colapso das colônias.; Inseticida.; Mortalidade.; Perdas de colônias.; Honey bee.; Colony Collapse Disorder.; Insecticide.; Mortality.; Colony losses.

The abusive use of pesticides has caused to the disappearance of bees in agricultural areas, being one of the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder and colony losses worldwide. To preserve the pollinators in agricultural areas, it is necessary to know about the impacts of pesticides on these agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of the insecticide Imidacloprid +  Beta-Cyfluthrin, at the minimum and maximum doses recommended by the manufacturer for pest control in melon crop, on adult workers of the honey bee Apis mellifera. The toxicity of Imidacloprid +  Beta-Cyfluthrin was evaluated by means of two different ways of exposure of the bees to the product: direct spraying and ingestion of contaminated diet. After exposure, the mortality and behavior of the bees were evaluated for a period of 72 hours. Regardless of the dose, the insecticide Imidacloprid +  Beta-Cyfluthrin was extremely toxic to A. mellifera via direct spray, causing 100% mortality and presenting a TL50 of 3.85 h. Orally, Imidacloprid +  Beta-Cyfluthrin was less toxic to A. mellifera, presenting a TL50 of 32.98 h. The results  reinforce the need for attention when applying insecticides to melon crops, especially during period the flowering and foraging of honey bees.