Revisão da anatomia do sistema nervoso central de Apis mellifera: uma base teórica para estudos ecotoxicológicos: a theoretical basis for ecotoxicological studies

Abstract

Bees are essential for the genetic variability maintenance of wild and cultivated plants and, consequently, for global food security. However, they are highly vulnerable to the neurotoxic action of insecticides, whose main target is the Central and Peripheral Nervous System. The search for changes in the current legislation for risk assessment and registration of pesticides has motivated several ecotoxicological studies, since the evaluations of the impacts of these products at the anatomical and cellular level are commonly used. Thus, this review aimed to compile essential information present in the literature about A. mellifera Central Nervous System anatomy, a model species and the most studied worldwide, and proposes new schemes, to facilitate a first contact of the reader with this system in order to guide further studies on the subject.