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Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees
Published on: November 15, 2017
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The neonicotinoid clothianidin impairs memory processing in honey bees
Léa Tison1, Alexander Rößner1, Susan Gerschewski1
1Institute of Biology-Neurobiology, Free University Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 28/30, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
|May 15, 2019
Summary
Honey bees cannot detect clothianidin in sugar solutions. Exposure to this neonicotinoid impairs memory consolidation and retrieval, negatively impacting honey bee fitness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ecotoxicology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Neonicotinoids, such as clothianidin, are widely used insecticides.
- They target nicotinic Acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in insect brains, crucial for learning and memory.
- Sublethal doses may impair cognitive functions in pollinators, affecting their fitness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if honey bees can detect clothianidin in sucrose solutions.
- To determine the effects of clothianidin exposure on honey bee memory processing.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory and semi-field experiments assessed honey bee taste aversion to clothianidin.
- Proboscis extension response conditioning was used to test memory consolidation and retrieval in bees exposed to varying clothianidin concentrations.
Main Results:
- Honey bees could not distinguish between control and clothianidin-contaminated sucrose solutions.
- Clothianidin exposure impaired memory consolidation and retrieval processes in honey bees.
Conclusions:
- Clothianidin does not appear to have an aversive taste for honey bees.
- Acute exposure to clothianidin adversely affects memory processing in honey bees, potentially impacting their foraging behavior and survival.
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