Insecticide-contaminated honeydew: risks for beneficial insects.

ABSTRACT: Honeydew is the sugar-rich excretion of phloem-feeding hemipteran insects such as aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and psyllids, and can be a main carbohydrate source for beneficial insects in some ecosystems. Recent research has revealed that water-soluble, systemic insecticides contaminate honeydew excreted by hemipterans that feed on plants treated with these insecticides. This contaminated honeydew can be toxic to beneficial insects, such as pollinators, parasitic wasps and generalist predators that feed on it. This route of exposure has now been demonstrated in three plant species, for five systemic insecticides and four hemipteran species; therefore, we expect this route to be widely available in some ecosystems. In this perspective paper, we highlight the importance of this route of e

SUBMITTER: Calvo-Agudo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9299500 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature