Exposure to an insecticide formulation alters chemosensory orientation, but not floral scent detection, in buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Abstract

Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These agrochemicals pollute the environment and can negatively impact human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Acetamiprid, an approved neonicotinoid pesticide in the EU, may exert sub-lethal effects on pollinators and other organisms. However, our knowledge on the scope and severity of such effects is still incomplete. Our experiments focused on the effects of the insecticide formulation Mospilan (active ingredient: 20% acetamiprid) on the peripheral olfactory detection of a synthetic floral blend and foraging behaviour of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) workers. We found that the applied treatment did not affect the antennal detection of the floral blend; however, it induced alterations in their foraging behaviour. Pesticide-treated individuals started foraging later, and the probability of finding the floral blend was lower than that of the control bumblebees. However, exposed bumblebees found the scent source faster than the controls. These results suggest that acetamiprid-containing Mospilan may disrupt the activity and orientation of foraging bumblebees. We hypothesize that the observed effects of pesticide exposure on foraging behaviour could be mediated through neurophysiological and endocrine mechanisms. We propose that future investigations should clarify whether such sub-lethal effects can affect pollinators’ population dynamics and their ecosystem services.