Abstract
Neonicotinoids are a globally prevalent class of pesticides that can negatively impact bees and the pollination services they provide. While there is evidence suggesting that colony size may play an important role in mitigating neonicotinoid exposure in bees, mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. Here, a recently developed, agent-based computational model is used to investigate how the effects of sub-lethal neonicotinoid exposure on intranest behavior of bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) are modulated by colony size. Simulations from the model, parameterized using empirical data on bumblebee workers exposed to imidacloprid (a common neonicotinoid pesticide), suggest that colony size has significant effects on behavior neonicotinoid-sensitivity within bumblebee nests. Specifically, differences are reduced between treated and untreated workers in larger colonies for several key aspects of behavior within nests. Our results suggest that changes in both number of workers and nest architecture may contribute to making larger colonies less sensitive to pesticide exposure.
Highlights
IntroductionAgricultural use of neonicotinoid pesticides may negatively affect bees (Cresswell, 2011; Rundlöf et al, 2015; Woodcock et al, 2016, 2017) and the ecosystem services they provide (Stanley et al, 2015a) by altering worker behavior (Gill et al, 2012; Whitehorn et al, 2012; Kessler et al, 2015)
Our goal is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of neonicotinoid exposure on worker behavior within bumblebee nests and how these effects are modulated by colony size
We used BeeNestABM to examine the effects of colony size and exposure treatment intensities on worker behavior
Summary
Agricultural use of neonicotinoid pesticides may negatively affect bees (Cresswell, 2011; Rundlöf et al, 2015; Woodcock et al, 2016, 2017) and the ecosystem services they provide (Stanley et al, 2015a) by altering worker behavior (Gill et al, 2012; Whitehorn et al, 2012; Kessler et al, 2015). Mechanistic models of behavior within bee colonies can consider complex impacts of pesticides and other stressors under different scenarios (Bryden et al, 2013; Laycock and Cresswell, 2013; Sponsler and Johnson, 2016; Cresswell, 2017; Henry et al, 2017). Models have been developed for populations of bumblebees (Sponsler and Johnson, 2016; Thorbek et al, 2016; Betti et al, 2017; Henry et al, 2017; Becher et al, 2018) with and without exposure to neonicotinoids
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