Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs?
The ubiquitous use of pesticides is one major driver for the current loss of biodiversity, and the common practice of simultaneously applying multiple agrochemicals may further contribute. Insect toxicology currently has a strong focus on survival to determine the potential hazards of a chemical rou...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-11-01
|
| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/11/819 |
| _version_ | 1797547305310617600 |
|---|---|
| author | Verena Strobl Domenic Camenzind Angela Minnameyer Stephanie Walker Michael Eyer Peter Neumann Lars Straub |
| author_facet | Verena Strobl Domenic Camenzind Angela Minnameyer Stephanie Walker Michael Eyer Peter Neumann Lars Straub |
| author_sort | Verena Strobl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ubiquitous use of pesticides is one major driver for the current loss of biodiversity, and the common practice of simultaneously applying multiple agrochemicals may further contribute. Insect toxicology currently has a strong focus on survival to determine the potential hazards of a chemical routinely used in risk evaluations. However, studies revealing no effect on survival or even indicating enhanced survival are likely to be misleading, if potential trade-offs between survival and other physiological factors are overlooked. Here, we used standard laboratory experiments to investigate the sublethal (i.e., food consumption) and lethal (i.e., survival) effects of two common agricultural pesticides (Roundup<sup>®</sup> and clothianidin) on adult female solitary bees, <i>Osmia bicornis</i>. The data showed no significant effect of the treatment on cumulative survival; however, a significant positive correlation between herbicide and insecticide exposure and age was revealed, i.e., bees exposed to higher dosages lived longer. As no significant differences in daily food consumption were observed across treatment groups, increased food intake can be excluded as a factor leading to the prolonged survival. While this study does not provide data on fitness effects, two previous studies using solitary bees observed significant negative effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on fitness, yet not on survival. Thus, we conjecture that the observed non-significant effects on longevity may result from a trade-off between survival and reproduction. The data suggest that a focus on survival can lead to false-negative results and it appears inevitable to include fitness or at least tokens of fitness at the earliest stage in future risk assessments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:42:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea69b0e6eb254b9186610c609832cb1c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:42:27Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea69b0e6eb254b9186610c609832cb1c2023-11-20T21:43:40ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502020-11-01111181910.3390/insects11110819Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs?Verena Strobl0Domenic Camenzind1Angela Minnameyer2Stephanie Walker3Michael Eyer4Peter Neumann5Lars Straub6Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandLaboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandInstitute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandThe ubiquitous use of pesticides is one major driver for the current loss of biodiversity, and the common practice of simultaneously applying multiple agrochemicals may further contribute. Insect toxicology currently has a strong focus on survival to determine the potential hazards of a chemical routinely used in risk evaluations. However, studies revealing no effect on survival or even indicating enhanced survival are likely to be misleading, if potential trade-offs between survival and other physiological factors are overlooked. Here, we used standard laboratory experiments to investigate the sublethal (i.e., food consumption) and lethal (i.e., survival) effects of two common agricultural pesticides (Roundup<sup>®</sup> and clothianidin) on adult female solitary bees, <i>Osmia bicornis</i>. The data showed no significant effect of the treatment on cumulative survival; however, a significant positive correlation between herbicide and insecticide exposure and age was revealed, i.e., bees exposed to higher dosages lived longer. As no significant differences in daily food consumption were observed across treatment groups, increased food intake can be excluded as a factor leading to the prolonged survival. While this study does not provide data on fitness effects, two previous studies using solitary bees observed significant negative effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on fitness, yet not on survival. Thus, we conjecture that the observed non-significant effects on longevity may result from a trade-off between survival and reproduction. The data suggest that a focus on survival can lead to false-negative results and it appears inevitable to include fitness or at least tokens of fitness at the earliest stage in future risk assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/11/819glyphosate-based herbicidesneonicotinoidlethal and sublethal effectscombined exposure<i>Osmia bicornis</i> |
| spellingShingle | Verena Strobl Domenic Camenzind Angela Minnameyer Stephanie Walker Michael Eyer Peter Neumann Lars Straub Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? Insects glyphosate-based herbicides neonicotinoid lethal and sublethal effects combined exposure <i>Osmia bicornis</i> |
| title | Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? |
| title_full | Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? |
| title_fullStr | Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? |
| title_short | Positive Correlation between Pesticide Consumption and Longevity in Solitary Bees: Are We Overlooking Fitness Trade-Offs? |
| title_sort | positive correlation between pesticide consumption and longevity in solitary bees are we overlooking fitness trade offs |
| topic | glyphosate-based herbicides neonicotinoid lethal and sublethal effects combined exposure <i>Osmia bicornis</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/11/819 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT verenastrobl positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT domeniccamenzind positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT angelaminnameyer positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT stephaniewalker positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT michaeleyer positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT peterneumann positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs AT larsstraub positivecorrelationbetweenpesticideconsumptionandlongevityinsolitarybeesareweoverlookingfitnesstradeoffs |