Abstract
Bees of genus Apis are the main crop pollinators; however, the use of pesticides in agriculture may intoxicate them during foraging. In this study, we evaluated the toxic eff ects caused by difenoconazole (fungicide), fenpyroximate (acaricide) and mineral oil (adjuvant) used alone and associated (pesticide + adjuvant) on workers of Apis mellifera L. Bees were exposed to product doses recommended by manufacturers, orally and in contact on a contaminated surface in a controlled environment. All products presented low lethality, both in isolation and combination (except for difenoconazole via contact), however, they all showed toxic effects. The results showed that combination of pesticides with adjuvant augmented toxic eff ects.
Highlights
Insects are the main responsible for sexual reproduction of most species of cataloged angiosperms, increasing genetic variability of plants (Raven et al, 2001; Michener, 2007)
The paste was offered to the bees in microtubes inside the cages for 96 h. b) Contact exposure to contaminated surfaces - leaves of lemon Citrus aurantifolia var. thaiti, collected from a plant without phytosanitary treatment, were immersed for 5 min in the solution with each pesticide, which was diluted in water as described in Table 1
The survival of bees exposed to active principles mineral oil + fenpyroximate and only mineral oil were 92% and 84% at 72 and 60 h, respectively
Summary
Insects are the main responsible for sexual reproduction of most species of cataloged angiosperms, increasing genetic variability of plants (Raven et al, 2001; Michener, 2007). Insects are associated to better fruit and seed productivity and development (Kerr et al, 1996; ImperatrizFonseca & Nunes-Silva, 2010; Putra et al, 2014; Silva et al, 2015), play an essential role for maintenance and balance of ecosystems. In this context, studies seek to measure the actual value of services to the environment that pollinators have (Lonsdorf et al, 2009; Gallai et al, 2009; Giannini et al, 2015). Bees are some of the main pollinating agents and have become the most affected individuals, due to the contact with contaminated sources that cause behavioral disorders and even death of individuals (Sandrock et al, 2014; Goulson, 2015)
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