Population decline in a ground-nesting solitary squash bee (Eucera pruinosa) following exposure to a neonicotinoid insecticide treated crop (Cucurbita pepo).

ABSTRACT: Insect pollinators are threatened by multiple environmental stressors, including pesticide exposure. Despite being important pollinators, solitary ground-nesting bees are inadequately represented by pesticide risk assessments reliant almost exclusively on honeybee ecotoxicology. Here we evaluate the effects of realistic exposure via squash crops treated with systemic insecticides (Admire-imidacloprid soil application, FarMore FI400-thiamethoxam seed-coating, or Coragen-chlorantraniliprole foliar spray) for a ground-nesting bee species (Hoary squash bee, Eucera pruinosa) in a 3-year semi-field experiment. Hoary squash bees provide essential pollination services to pumpkin and squash crops and commonly nest within cropping areas increasing their risk of pesticide exposure from soil, nectar,

SUBMITTER: Willis Chan DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7896084 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature