Assessment of the midgut microbiota in foragers of the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris following short-term sublethal exposure to imidacloprid.

ABSTRACT: The insecticide imidacloprid, widely used in Brazil, is known to have adverse effects on bee populations at both lethal and sublethal doses and concentrations. While previous studies have reported disruption of bee gut microbial communities following pesticide exposure, the effects of short-term sublethal exposure in stingless bees remain unclear. This study evaluated the impact of sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid (LC50/100 and LC50/1000) on the midgut microbiota composition of the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris. Using metabarcoding of the V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA to characterize bacterial community composition and diversity, we analysed midgut bacterial communities of bees collected directly from hives (T0 group) and after 24 and 48 hours of oral imidacloprid exposure. Ou

SUBMITTER: Azevedo P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12747329 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature