Impact of Diflubenzuron on Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Microcolony Development.

ABSTRACT: Reliance on the honey bee as a surrogate organism for risk assessment performed on other bees is widely challenged due to differences in phenology, life history, and sensitivity to pesticides between bee species. Consequently, there is a need to develop validated methods for assessing toxicity in non-Apis bees including bumble bees. The usefulness of small-scale, queenless colonies, termed microcolonies, has not been fully investigated for hazard assessment. Using the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron as a reference toxicant, we monitored microcolony development from egg laying to drone emergence using the Eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens (C.), a non-Apis species native to North America. Microcolonies were monitored following dietary exposure to diflubenzuron (nominal concentrations

SUBMITTER: Camp AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7400686 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature