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Sulfoxaflor Impairs Bumblebee Memory Across Moderate and Extreme Temperatures
Rinoa Hicks1, Szymon Szymański1, Elena Couper Coombs1
1School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK.
Ecology and Evolution
|September 8, 2025
Summary
The insecticide sulfoxaflor impairs bumblebee memory, even at field-realistic doses. Temperature did not affect memory or interact with pesticide effects, highlighting risks to pollinators.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Toxicology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Pollinator populations are declining due to pesticide exposure and climate change.
- Cognitive functions, like memory, are crucial for pollinator foraging efficiency and fitness.
- Understanding the combined effects of pesticides and temperature on bee memory is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the insecticide sulfoxaflor on bumblebee memory.
- To assess how environmentally relevant temperatures affect bumblebee memory.
- To determine if temperature and sulfoxaflor interact to impair bumblebee memory.
Main Methods:
- Used a free-moving proboscis extension reflex assay with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris).
- Exposed bees to a field-realistic dose of sulfoxaflor.
- Tested bee memory across a temperature range of 12°C to 36°C.
Main Results:
- Sulfoxaflor exposure significantly impaired bumblebee memory.
- Temperature alone did not impact bumblebee memory.
- No significant interaction was found between sulfoxaflor exposure and temperature.
Conclusions:
- Sulfoxaflor poses a sub-lethal threat to bumblebee cognitive function and foraging.
- Current temperature fluctuations do not appear to exacerbate sulfoxaflor's negative effects on memory.
- Regulations limiting sulfoxaflor use are crucial for pollinator protection.
