The Longevity Of Africanized Apis mellifera L. Influenced By Synthetic Phytosanitary Products Used In Soybean

Abstract

Honey bees are the main pollinators, but they are in decline and synthetic phytosanitary products (SSPs) are suspected to be related. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of three commercial SPPs, used to control the stink bug in soybean, formulated with Acetamiprid + Alpha-cypermethrin; Imidacloprid + Beta-Cyfluthrin and Fenitrothion + Esfenvalerate, on adult worker Africanized Apis mellifera. For this, worker honey bees was exposed to SPPs through three bioassays: 1) sprayed on the bees, 2) sprayed on Petri dishes in which the bees was subsequently placed, and 3) mixed with the Candy paste supplied to the bees. The honey bees in bioassay 3 had their midgut submitted to histopathological analysis. All bioassays was maintained in a climatized room (34 ± 2ºC, RH 60 ± 5%) and the workers longevity was verified at 1 up to 120 hours. In bioassay 1 at the time of 6 hours evaluation, 100% of the bees of all the SPPs was dead. In bioassay 2 all bees was dead after two hours of exposure of the three SPP. In bioassay 3 the SPP1 and SPP2 caused 100% mortality after 60 hours of exposure, to theSPP3 all bees was dead after 96 hours, while for the control, after 96 hours only 45% of the bees were dead. Histological analysis revealed the destruction of the midgut cells of all workers from the three SPPs treatments. The three evaluated SPPs showed no selectivity for A. mellifera workers, reducing bee longevity.