Brühl, Carsten A.

Franke, Lea

Jeker, Lukas

Rehberg, Christina

Stahlschmidt, Peter

English

JKI Open Journal Systems (Julius Kühn-Institut)

Hazards of pesticides to bees - 12th International Symposium of the ICP-PR Bee Protection Group, Ghent (Belgium), September 15-17, 2014   218  Julius-Kühn-Archiv, 450, 2015 4.11 Pesticide Risk Assessment: Comparing sensitivities of ‘non-Apis’ bees with the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Lea Franke1, Lukas Jeker2, Christina Rehberg1, Peter Stahlschmidt1, Carsten A. Brühl1 1Universität Koblenz-Landau, Institut für Umweltwissenschaften, 76829 Landau (Pfalz) 2 Dr. Knoell Consult GmbH, Dynamostrasse 19, 66165 Mannheim, Deutschland Abstract For decades, numbers of pollinators are declining in Europe (Biesmeijer et al., 2006). In Germany an estimated 40% of wild bee species are threatened by extinction and many species have already disappeared. Key drivers of the loss of biodiversity are land consolidation and agricultural intensification (Westrich and Dathe, 1997). Among other things pesticides pose a threat to pollinators (Kevan, 1975). In the present risk assessment of pesticides the honey bee Apis mellifera is used as test organism representative for all non-Apis bee species. However, former toxicity studies were mainly conducted with bumblebees or non-European bee species (Tasei et al., 2002). Data on the susceptibility of European bee species to pesticides is lacking, leaving high uncertainties in the pesticide risk assessment.  Therefore acute contact toxicity tests with several European bee species were conducted to determine LD50 values (lethal dose at which 50% of the tested organisms die) for Perfekthion (active ingredient: dimethoate) and a species sensitivity distribution was established. The values were compared to data from Apis mellifera studies to examine whether LD50 values from honeybee acute contact toxicity studies are representative for other bee species.  Additionally, the relationship between bee size and sensitivity was examined, as it was hypothesized that smaller species are more sensitive. References Biesmeijer, J. et al. Parallel declines in pollinators and insect-pollinated plants in Britain and the Netherlands. Science, v. 313, n. 5785, p. 351-354, 2006. ISSN 0036-8075.  Kevan, P. G. Forest application of the insecticide fenitrothion and its effect on wild bee pollinators (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) in Southern New Brunswick, Canada. Biological Conservation, v. 7, n. 4, p. 301-309, 1975. ISSN 0006-3207.  Tasei, J.; Devillers, J.; Pham-Delègue, M. Impact of agrochemicals on non-Apis bees. Honey bees: estimating the environmental impact of chemicals, p. 101-131, 2002. ISSN 0415275180. Available at: < http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20053057348.html >.  Westrich, P.; Dathe, H. H. Die Bienenarten Deutschlands (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Ein aktualisiertes Verzeichnis mit kritischen Anmerkungen. Mitt. Ent. Ver. Stuttgart, v. 32, p. 3-34, 1997.      

Pesticide Risk Assessment: Comparing sensitivities of ‘non-Apis’ bees with the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

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Pesticide Risk Assessment: Comparing sensitivities of ‘non-Apis’ bees with the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

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