Abstract
Honey bees that leave the hive and collect nectar or pollen from pesticide-treated plants are susceptible to be poisoned. Acetamiprid is a new class of insecticide and a member of the neonicotinoids that has been widely applied in the field for pest control. However, effects of sublethal doses of acetamiprid on worker bees are not yet fully understood. In this study, we examined effects of sublethal doses of acetamiprid on lifespan and memory-related characteristics. Newly emerged worker bees from a single colony were randomly divided into four groups, and this experiment was repeated three times using three different colonies. Three doses (0.5, 1, and 2 μg/bee) of acetamiprid diluted by water were added on the thorax of worker bees while bees were exposed to pure water as a control (0 μg/bee). The lifespan of bees treated with acetamiprid at a concentration over 1 μg/bee was significantly reduced, while there was no significant difference between the 0.5 μg/bee group and 0 μg/bee group. All three doses of acetamiprid affected the memory-related characteristics of bees, reduced the success of proboscis extension response (PER), affected homing ability, and influenced expression levels of two learning- and memory-related genes compared with the control group. This research confirms that sublethal doses of acetamiprid affect the survival of honey bees.
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