Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive
The honeybee <i>Apis mellifera</i> is an important pollinator in both undisturbed and agricultural ecosystems. Its great versatility as an experimental model makes it an excellent proxy to evaluate the environmental impact of agrochemicals using current methodologies and procedures in en...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/10/354 |
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| author | Walter M. Farina M. Sol Balbuena Lucila T. Herbert Carolina Mengoni Goñalons Diego E. Vázquez |
| author_facet | Walter M. Farina M. Sol Balbuena Lucila T. Herbert Carolina Mengoni Goñalons Diego E. Vázquez |
| author_sort | Walter M. Farina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The honeybee <i>Apis mellifera</i> is an important pollinator in both undisturbed and agricultural ecosystems. Its great versatility as an experimental model makes it an excellent proxy to evaluate the environmental impact of agrochemicals using current methodologies and procedures in environmental toxicology. The increase in agrochemical use, including those that do not target insects directly, can have deleterious effects if carried out indiscriminately. This seems to be the case of the herbicide glyphosate (GLY), the most widely used agrochemical worldwide. Its presence in honey has been reported in samples obtained from different environments. Hence, to understand its current and potential risks for this pollinator it has become essential to not only study the effects on honeybee colonies located in agricultural settings, but also its effects under laboratory conditions. Subtle deleterious effects can be detected using experimental approaches. GLY negatively affects associative learning processes of foragers, cognitive and sensory abilities of young hive bees and promotes delays in brood development. An integrated approach that considers behavior, physiology, and development allows not only to determine the effects of this agrochemical on this eusocial insect from an experimental perspective, but also to infer putative effects in disturbed environments where it is omnipresent. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:20:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f555863d93d94baaa2d2f8d8577161ad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:20:29Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-f555863d93d94baaa2d2f8d8577161ad2022-12-22T01:47:22ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502019-10-01101035410.3390/insects10100354insects10100354Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the HiveWalter M. Farina0M. Sol Balbuena1Lucila T. Herbert2Carolina Mengoni Goñalons3Diego E. Vázquez4Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaLaboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaLaboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaLaboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaLaboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaThe honeybee <i>Apis mellifera</i> is an important pollinator in both undisturbed and agricultural ecosystems. Its great versatility as an experimental model makes it an excellent proxy to evaluate the environmental impact of agrochemicals using current methodologies and procedures in environmental toxicology. The increase in agrochemical use, including those that do not target insects directly, can have deleterious effects if carried out indiscriminately. This seems to be the case of the herbicide glyphosate (GLY), the most widely used agrochemical worldwide. Its presence in honey has been reported in samples obtained from different environments. Hence, to understand its current and potential risks for this pollinator it has become essential to not only study the effects on honeybee colonies located in agricultural settings, but also its effects under laboratory conditions. Subtle deleterious effects can be detected using experimental approaches. GLY negatively affects associative learning processes of foragers, cognitive and sensory abilities of young hive bees and promotes delays in brood development. An integrated approach that considers behavior, physiology, and development allows not only to determine the effects of this agrochemical on this eusocial insect from an experimental perspective, but also to infer putative effects in disturbed environments where it is omnipresent.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/10/354<i>apis mellifera</i>agrochemicalglyphosatecognitive abilitiesbehaviorbrood development |
| spellingShingle | Walter M. Farina M. Sol Balbuena Lucila T. Herbert Carolina Mengoni Goñalons Diego E. Vázquez Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive Insects <i>apis mellifera</i> agrochemical glyphosate cognitive abilities behavior brood development |
| title | Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive |
| title_full | Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive |
| title_fullStr | Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive |
| title_short | Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive |
| title_sort | effects of the herbicide glyphosate on honey bee sensory and cognitive abilities individual impairments with implications for the hive |
| topic | <i>apis mellifera</i> agrochemical glyphosate cognitive abilities behavior brood development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/10/354 |
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