Pharmaceutical pollution disrupts the behavior and predator-prey interactions of two widespread aquatic insects.

ABSTRACT: Pharmaceutical pollution represents a rapidly growing threat to ecosystems worldwide. Drugs are now commonly detected in the tissues of wildlife and have the potential to alter the natural expression of behavior, though relatively little is known about how pharmaceuticals impact predator-prey interactions. We conducted parallel laboratory experiments using larval odonates (dragonfly and damselfly nymphs) to investigate the effects of exposure to two pharmaceuticals, cetirizine and citalopram, and their mixture on the outcomes of predator-prey interactions. We found that exposure to both compounds elevated dragonfly activity and impacted their predation success and efficiency in complex ways. While exposure to citalopram reduced predation efficiency, exposure to cetirizine showed varied eff

SUBMITTER: Bose APH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9758520 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature