Assessing the acute toxicity of insecticides to the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris audax).

ABSTRACT: The buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris audax is an important pollinator within both landscape ecosystems and agricultural crops. During their lifetime bumblebees are regularly challenged by various environmental stressors including insecticides. Historically the honey bee (Apis mellifera spp.) has been used as an 'indicator' species for 'standard' ecotoxicological testing, but it has been suggested that it is not always a good proxy for other eusocial or solitary bees. To investigate this, the susceptibility of B. terrestris to selected pesticides within the neonicotinoid, pyrethroid and organophosphate classes was examined using acute insecticide bioassays. Acute oral and topical LD50 values for B. terrestris against these insecticides were broadly consistent with published results

SUBMITTER: Reid RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7294345 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature