scholarly journals Osmia bicornis is rarely an adequate regulatory surrogate species. Comparing its acute sensitivity towards multiple insecticides with regulatory Apis mellifera endpoints

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Uhl ◽  
Osarobo Awanbor ◽  
Robert S. Schulz ◽  
Carsten A. Brühl
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Lethal Dose ◽  
Surrogate Species ◽  
Osmia Bicornis ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Assessment Factor

AbstractBee species provide essential ecosystem services and maintain floral biodiversity. However, there is an ongoing decline of wild and domesticated bee species. Since agricultural pesticide use is a key driver of this process, there is a need for a protective risk assessment. To achieve a more protective registration process, two wild bee species, Osmia bicornis and Bombus terrestris, were proposed by the European Food Safety Authority as additional test surrogates. We investigated the acute toxicity (median lethal dose, LD50) of multiple commercial insecticide formulations towards the red mason bee (O. bicornis) and compared these values to honey bee (Apis mellifera) regulatory endpoints. In two thirds of all cases O. bicornis was less sensitive than the honey bee. By applying an assessment factor of 10 on the honey bee endpoint a protective level was achieved for 87% (13 out 15) of all evaluated products. Our results show that O. bicornis as a non-sensitive species is rarely an adequate additional surrogate species for lower tier risk assessment. Given the currently limited database, the honey bee seems sufficiently protective in acute scenarios as long as a reasonable assessment factor is applied. However, additional surrogate species such as O. bicornis and B. terrestris are still relevant for ecologically meaningful higher tier studies.

scholarly journals Environmental risk assessment of transgene products using honey bee (Apis mellifera) larvae

Apidologie ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik F. Brodsgaard ◽  
Camilla J. Brodsgaard ◽  
Henrik Hansen ◽  
G�bor L. L�vei
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment

scholarly journals Variation in floret size explains differences in wild bee visitation to cultivated sunflowers

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 498-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe M. Portlas ◽  
Jonathan R. Tetlie ◽  
Deirdre Prischmann-Voldseth ◽  
Brent S. Hulke ◽  
Jarrad R. Prasifka
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Inbred Lines ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Nectar Rewards

AbstractWild and managed bees are needed to move sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) pollen, both to create hybrid seed and to encourage high, consistent yields when those hybrids are subsequently grown. Among floral traits that influence bee preference, floret size may be critical, as the depth of the corolla affects the accessibility of nectar. Sampling and observation of inbred maintainer (HA) lines were used to assess variation in floret size, and to measure any effects of floret size on pollinator visitation. Among 100 inbreds sampled, there was significant variation among the lines, with floret lengths of 6.8–9.9 mm. Floret length, measured before anthesis, was closely related to corolla depth during anthesis and was consistent between 2 years (environments). Pollinator observations on 30 inbred lines showed floret size explained a majority (52%) of the variation in wild bee preference, with a reduction in floret length of 2 mm more than doubling pollinator activity. Though honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies were located ≈ 60 m from the plots, near-zero honey bee activity in the sunflowers precluded an assessment of how strongly this managed pollinator is affected by floret length. Production of inbreds and hybrids with smaller florets could enhance sunflower pollination, but genetic markers for floret size are needed to facilitate selection, and an understanding of potential trade-offs also is required. Information on variation and heritability of other traits, such as pollen and nectar rewards, could help explain residual variation in wild bee visitation to sunflowers.

Risk assessment of various insecticides used for management of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri in Florida citrus, against honey bee, Apis mellifera

Ecotoxicology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Dong Chen ◽  
Torrence A. Gill ◽  
Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski ◽  
Lukasz L. Stelinski
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Asian Citrus Psyllid ◽  
Diaphorina Citri ◽  
Florida Citrus

scholarly journals Contact toxicity of three insecticides for use in tier I pesticide risk assessments with Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10744
Author(s):  
Graham R. Ansell ◽  
Andrew J. Frewin ◽  
Angela E. Gradish ◽  
Cynthia D. Scott-Dupree
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Solitary Bees ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Contact Toxicity ◽  
Megachile Rotundata ◽  
Surrogate Species ◽  
Pesticide Risk Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tests ◽  
Tier I

The current pesticide risk assessment paradigm may not adequately protect solitary bees as it focuses primarily on the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) is a potential surrogate species for use in pesticide risk assessment for solitary bees in North America. However, the toxicity of potential toxic reference standards to M. rotundata will need to be determined before pesticide risk assessment tests (tier I trials) can be implemented. Therefore, we assessed the acute topical toxicity and generated LD50 values for three insecticides: dimethoate (62.08 ng a.i./bee), permethrin (50.01 ng a.i./bee), and imidacloprid (12.82 ng a.i/bee). The variation in the mass of individual bees had a significant but small effect on these toxicity estimates. Overall, the toxicity of these insecticides to M. rotundata were within the 10-fold safety factor currently used with A. mellifera toxicity estimates from tier I trials to estimate risk to other bee species. Therefore, tier I pesticide risk assessments with solitary bees may not be necessary, and efforts could be directed to developing more realistic, higher-tier pesticide risk assessment trials for solitary bees.

Exposure of the wild bee Osmia bicornis to the honey bee pathogen Nosema ceranae

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uta Müller ◽  
Dino P. McMahon ◽  
Jens Rolff
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Osmia Bicornis ◽  
Wild Bee

scholarly journals Reduced nest development of reared Bombus terrestris within apiary dense human-modified landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Meeus ◽  
Laurian Parmentier ◽  
Matti Pisman ◽  
Dirk C. de Graaf ◽  
Guy Smagghe
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Competition For Resources ◽  
Biomass Increase

AbstractWild bees are in decline on a local to global scale. The presence of managed honey bees can lead to competition for resources with wild bee species, which has not been investigated so far for human-modified landscapes. In this study we assess if managed honey bee hive density influence nest development (biomass) of bumble bees, an important trait affecting fitness. We hypothesize that domesticated honey bees can negatively affect Bombus terrestris nest development in human-modified landscapes. In Flanders, Belgium, where such landscapes are dominantly present, we selected 11 locations with landscape metrics ranging from urban to agricultural. The bee hive locations were mapped and each location contained one apiary dense (AD) and one apiary sparse (AS) study site (mean density of 7.6 ± 5.7 managed honey bee hives per km2 in AD sites). We assessed the effect of apiary density on the reproduction of reared B. terrestris nests. Reared B. terrestris nests had more biomass increase over 8 weeks in apiary sparse (AS) sites compared to nests located in apiary dense (AD) sites. This effect was mainly visible in urban locations, where nest in AS sites have 99.25 ± 60.99 g more biomass increase compared to nest in urban AD sites. Additionally, we found that managed bumble bee nests had higher biomass increase in urban locations. We conclude that the density of bee hives is a factor to consider in regard to interspecific competition between domesticated honey bees and bumble bees.

scholarly journals The Transition Ratio of Nosema spp. Spores From Colonies to Honey Versus Honey to Colonies

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Ceren Sarıbıyık ◽  
Aslı Özkırım
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Digestive System ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Nosema Apis ◽  
Major Threat ◽  
Bee Disease ◽  
Bee Colonies

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are insects that have an important role in plant pollination as well as production of benefical products such as honey, propolis, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom and beeswax. There is a growing interest in bee diseases and loss, which is a major threat to the economy and human health. Nosemosis is an adult honey bee disease which effects its digestive system mostly. The cause for the disease is Nosema apis or Nosema ceranae but the two can be seen together, too. This article aims to explore the transmission of Nosemosis and its effect on honey. For this purpose, a field study was conducted in Muğla province, where 51 pieces were collected from bee yards as spring samples and 51 pieces from bee yards as autumn samples during these two seasons, and 51 honey samples from bee yards were examined during the honey harvest. The results revealed that Nosema spp. which was obtained from honey bee samples collected in spring was more effective on honey samples. Nosema spp. was found to have a linear relation with the infection in the hive. It was determined that the percentage of Nosema spores seen in adults was 1.63%. This result contributed to the literature by providing this ratio used in estimating the level of infection in the colonies by means of honey sampling. Furthermore this is the first study where the contamination risk of honey from the infected colonies is calculated. Hopefully, this study can provide background for further research on the protection of bee colonies and risk assessment against Nosema spp. disease.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document