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2015 ; 521
(7550
): 74-76
Nephropedia Template TP
Kessler S
; Tiedeken EJ
; Simcock KL
; Derveau S
; Mitchell J
; Softley S
; Stout JC
; Wright GA
Nature
2015[May]; 521
(7550
): 74-76
PMID25901684
show ga
The impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on insect pollinators is highly
controversial. Sublethal concentrations alter the behaviour of social bees and
reduce survival of entire colonies. However, critics argue that the reported
negative effects only arise from neonicotinoid concentrations that are greater
than those found in the nectar and pollen of pesticide-treated plants.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that bees could choose to forage on other
available flowers and hence avoid or dilute exposure. Here, using a two-choice
feeding assay, we show that the honeybee, Apis mellifera, and the buff-tailed
bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, do not avoid nectar-relevant concentrations of
three of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, imidacloprid (IMD), thiamethoxam
(TMX), and clothianidin (CLO), in food. Moreover, bees of both species prefer to
eat more of sucrose solutions laced with IMD or TMX than sucrose alone.
Stimulation with IMD, TMX and CLO neither elicited spiking responses from
gustatory neurons in the bees' mouthparts, nor inhibited the responses of
sucrose-sensitive neurons. Our data indicate that bees cannot taste
neonicotinoids and are not repelled by them. Instead, bees preferred solutions
containing IMD or TMX, even though the consumption of these pesticides caused
them to eat less food overall. This work shows that bees cannot control their
exposure to neonicotinoids in food and implies that treating flowering crops with
IMD and TMX presents a sizeable hazard to foraging bees.
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