Direct Lethal Effects Research Articles

Direct and indirect effects of copepod grazers on community structure

Abstract Ecological theory and empirical research show that both direct lethal effects and indirect non-lethal effects can structure the composition of communities. While the direct effects of grazers on marine phytoplankton communities are well studied, their indirect effects are still poorly understood. Direct and indirect effects are inherently difficult to disentangle in plankton food webs. In this study we evaluate the indirect effects of copepod grazers on community function and structure using isolated chemical alarm signals, copepodamides. We expose intact summer and spring communities to direct grazing from copepods, or to chemical alarm cues without the presence of grazers in controlled experiments. The effects of direct grazing on ecosystem function were moderate in both experiments as indicated by levels of chlorophyll and primary production. Indirect and direct effects resulted in changes in the composition of both the eukaryote and prokaryote communities as shown by metabarcoding of 18S and 16S rRNA. Size structure analysis suggests that direct grazing and copepodamide exposure both favoured smaller organisms (< 10–15 μm) corroborating the size-structuring effect of copepod grazers. We conclude that the well-established effect of copepods on phytoplankton communities results from a combination of direct and indirect effects. This is a first attempt to isolate indirect effects of copepods on community structure and the results suggest that a full mechanistic understanding of the structuring effect of copepods will require insights to both direct and indirect effects of consumers as demonstrated for other ecosystems components.

The multiple faces of cGAS-STING in antitumor immunity: prospects and challenges.

As a key sensor of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) detects cytosolic dsDNA and initiates the synthesis of 2'3' cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) that activates the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). This finally promotes the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) that is crucial for bridging innate and adaptive immunity. Recent evidence show that several antitumor therapies, including radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immunotherapies, activate the cGAS-STING pathway to provoke the antitumor immunity. In the last decade, the development of STING agonists has been a major focus inboth basic research and the pharmaceutical industry. However, up to now, none of STING agonists have been approved for clinical use. Considering the broad expression of STING in whole body and the direct lethal effect of STING agonists on immune cells in the draining lymph node (dLN), research on the optimal way to activate STING in tumor microenvironment (TME) appears to be a promising direction. Moreover, besides enhancing IFN-I signaling, the cGAS-STING pathway also plays roles in senescence, autophagy, apoptosis, mitotic arrest, and DNA repair, contributing to tumor development and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the recent advances on cGAS-STING pathway's response to antitumor therapies and the strategies involving this pathway for tumor treatment.

Collapse of Breeding Success in Desert-Dwelling Hornbills Evident Within a Single Decade

Rapid anthropogenic climate change potentially severely reduces avian breeding success. While the consequences of high temperatures and drought are reasonably well-studied within single breeding seasons, their impacts over decadal time scales are less clear. We assessed the effects of air temperature (Tair) and drought on the breeding output of southern yellow-billed hornbills (Tockus leucomelas; hornbills) in the Kalahari Desert over a decade (2008–2019). We aimed to document trends in breeding performance in an arid-zone bird during a time of rapid global warming and identify potential drivers of variation in breeding performance. The breeding output of our study population collapsed during the monitoring period. Comparing the first three seasons (2008–2011) of monitoring to the last three seasons (2016–2019), the mean percentage of nest boxes that were occupied declined from 52% to 12%, nest success from 58% to 17%, and mean fledglings produced per breeding attempt from 1.1 to 0.4. Breeding output was negatively correlated with increasing days on which Tmax (mean maximum daily Tair) exceeded the threshold Tair at which male hornbills show a 50% likelihood of engaging in heat dissipation behavior [i.e., panting (Tthresh; Tair = 34.5°C)] and the occurrence of drought within the breeding season, as well as later dates for entry into the nest cavity (i.e., nest initiation) and fewer days post-hatch, spent incarcerated in the nest by the female parent. The apparent effects of high Tair were present even in non-drought years; of the 115 breeding attempts that were recorded, all 18 attempts that had ≥ 72% days during the attempt on which Tmax > Tthresh failed (equivalent to Tmax during the attempt ≥ 35.7°C). This suggests that global warming was likely the primary driver of the recent, rapid breeding success collapse. Based on current warming trends, the Tmax threshold of 35.7°C, above which no successful breeding attempts were recorded, will be exceeded during the entire hornbill breeding season by approximately 2027 at our study site. Therefore, our findings support the prediction that climate change may drive rapid declines and cause local extinctions despite the absence of direct lethal effects of extreme heat events.

Acute Toxicity of Eight Aqueous Film-Forming Foams to 14 Aquatic Species.

Researchers have developed numerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations to replace PFAS-containing AFFF used for fire suppression. As part of the Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), we examined the direct lethal effects of seven PFAS-free AFFF and a PFAS-containing AFFF on 14 aquatic species using a series of lethal concentration (LC50) tests. We assessed the LC10, LC50, and LC90 values using log-logistic and logit analyses. Across all aquatic species tested, we discovered that exposure to at least one PFAS-free AFFF was more or as toxic as exposure to the PFAS-containing AFFF. For most cases, National Foam Avio F3 Green KHC 3% and Buckeye Platinum Plus C6MILSPEC 3% were the most and least toxic formulations, respectively. Moreover, we found consistency among results from multiple experiments using the same minnow species (Pimephales promelas) and among closely related taxa (e.g., daphnids, amphibians). Lastly, the LC50 values for AFFF formulations trended lower for tested marine species as compared to those of freshwater species. These results dramatically increase the current knowledge on the potentially toxic effects of AFFF but also highlight the need for additional research and the development of new PFAS-free AFFF that are more "ecologically friendly" than those containing persistent PFAS.

Comprehensive analyses of agrochemicals affecting aquatic ecosystems: A case study of Odonata communities and macrophytes in Saga Plain, northern Kyushu, Japan

The negative influence of agrochemicals (pesticides: insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide) on biodiversity is a major ecological concern. In recent decades, many insect species are reported to have rapidly declined worldwide, and pesticides, including neonicotinoids and fipronil, are suspected to be partially responsible. In Japan, application of systemic insecticides to nursery boxes in rice paddies is considered to have caused rapid declines in Sympetrum (Odonata: Libellulidae) and other dragonfly and damselfly populations since the 1990s. In addition to the direct lethal effects of pesticides, agrochemicals indirectly affect Odonata populations through reductions in macrophytes, which provide a habitat, and prey organisms. Due to technical restrictions, most previous studies first selected target chemicals and then analyzed their influence on focal organisms at various levels, from the laboratory to the field. However, in natural and agricultural environments, various chemicals co-occur and can act synergistically. Under such circumstances, targeted analyses might lead to spurious correlations between a target chemical and the abundance of organisms. To address such problems, in this study we adopted a novel technique, “Comprehensive Target Analysis with an Automated Identification and Quantification System (CTA-AIQS)” to detect wide range of agrochemicals in water environment. The relationships between a wide range of pesticides and lentic Odonata communities were surveyed in agricultural and non-agricultural areas in Saga Plain, Kyushu, Japan. We detected significant negative relationships between several insecticides, i.e., acephate, clothianidin, dinotefuran, flubendiamide, pymetrozine, and thiametoxam (marginal for benthic odonates) and the abundance of lentic Epiprocta and benthic Odonates. In contrast, the herbicides we detected were not significantly related to the abundance of aquatic macrophytes, suggesting a lower impact of herbicides on aquatic vegetation at the field level. These results highlight the need for further assessments of the influence of non-neonicotinoid insecticides on aquatic organisms.

Sublethal effects of commercial plant protection product containing spores Bacillus amyloliquefaciens QST 713 (formerly subtilis) on winter adult honeybees

The aim of this study was to assess potential harmful lethal and sublethal effects of commercial plant protection product containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens QST 713 (formerly subtilis) spores on winter adult honeybees according to OECD 245 (2017). Caged winter honeybees fed 10 days with a sucrose solution (50% w/w) ad libitum spiked with a maximum application field rate of 1/1 and its 1/10 showed no dose-dependent mortality under laboratory conditions; the No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) appears to be higher than or equal 4 × 107 colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml diet, resp. 4 × 1010 CFU/l diet. Although the results of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis showed no significant changes in the composition of gut bacterial community between untreated control and experimental groups after 10 days of chronic exposure, the expression of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides was decreased in one/both treated groups in comparison with untreated control group; significantly lower results of expression were detected in genes for Apidaecin, Defensin-1, and Hymenoptaecin. Despite no direct lethal effect of commercial plant protection product containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, QST 713 was observed in adult bees following chronic exposure; the decrease in some immunity parameters observed in tested winter bees may potentially impair bee colony health and survival.

Reactive oxygen species play a dominant role in all pathways of rapid quinolone-mediated killing.

Quinolones have been thought to rapidly kill bacteria in two ways: (i) quinolone-topoisomerase-DNA lesions stimulate the accumulation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS); and (ii) the lesions directly cause lethal DNA breaks. Traditional killing assays may have underestimated the ROS contribution by overlooking the possibility that ROS continue to accumulate and kill cells on drug-free agar after quinolone removal. Quinolone-induced, ROS-mediated killing of Escherichia coli was measured by plating post-treatment samples on agar with/without anti-ROS agents. When E. coli cultures were treated with ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin in the presence of chloramphenicol (to accentuate DNA-break-mediated killing), lethal activity, revealed by plating on quinolone-free agar, was inhibited by supplementing agar with ROS-mitigating agents. Moreover, norfloxacin-mediated lethality, observed with cells suspended in saline, was blocked by inhibitors of ROS accumulation and exacerbated by a katG catalase deficiency that impairs peroxide detoxification. Unlike WT cells, the katG mutant was killed by nalidixic acid or norfloxacin with chloramphenicol present and by nalidixic or oxolinic acid with cells suspended in saline. ROS accumulated after quinolone removal with cultures either co-treated with chloramphenicol or suspended in saline. Deficiencies in recA or recB reduced the protective effects of ROS-mitigating agents, supporting the idea that repair of quinolone-mediated DNA lesions suppresses the direct lethal effects of such lesions. ROS are the dominant factor in all modes of quinolone-mediated lethality, as quinolone-mediated primary DNA lesions are insufficient to kill without triggering ROS accumulation. ROS-stimulating adjuvants may enhance the lethality of quinolones and perhaps other antimicrobials.

A minimal modeling framework of radiation and immune system synergy to assist radiotherapy planning

Recent evidence indicates the ability of radiotherapy to induce local and systemic tumor-specific immune responses as a result of immunogenic cell death. However, fractionation regimes routinely used in clinical practice typically ignore the synergy between radiation and the immune system, and instead attempt to completely eradicate tumors by the direct lethal effect of radiation on cancer cells. This paradigm is expected to change in the near future due to the potential benefits of considering radiation-induced antitumor immunity during treatment planning. Towards this goal, we propose a minimal modeling framework based on key aspects of the tumor-immune system interplay to simulate the effects of radiation on tumors and the immunological consequences of radiotherapy. The impacts of tumor-associated vasculature and intratumoral oxygen-mediated heterogeneity on treatment outcomes are ininvestigated. The model provides estimates of the minimum radiation doses required for tumor eradication given a certain number of treatment fractions. Moreover, estimates of treatment duration for disease control given predetermined fractional radiation doses can be also obtained. Although theoretical in nature, this study motivates the development and establishment of immune-based decision-support tools in radiotherapy planning.

Effects of phosphorus availability and phosphorus utilization behavior of Microcystis aeruginosa on its adaptation capability to ultraviolet radiation

Phosphorus (P) plays a critical role in eutrophication and algal growth; therefore, improving our understanding of the impact of P is essential to control harmful algal blooms. In this study, Microcystis aeruginosa was treated with 5-h ambient irradiation in the medium with different dissolved inorganic P (DIP) concentrations, DIP-free, moderate-DIP, and high-DIP, to explore its growth and other physiological responses. Compared to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), UV-A (320–400 nm) and UV-B (280–320 nm) radiation had inhibitive effects on the photosynthesis and growth of M. aeruginosa, while high P availability could alleviate or eliminate the negative effects of UV radiation. The photosynthetic parameters had a minimum reduction and quickly recovered after re-inoculation under high-DIP conditions. Confirmed by SEM, photosynthetic pigments, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and other methods, ambient UV radiation exerted oxidative stresses rather than direct lethal effects on M. aeruginosa. Photosynthetic parameters indicated that algal UV-adaptation processes could include decreasing photo-induced damages and increasing self-repair efficiency. The P acquired by M. aeruginosa cells can have two function, which included alleviating UV-induced negative effects and sustaining algal growth. Consequently, UV-adaptation processes of M. aeruginosa resulted in an elevated demand for DIP, which resulted to increased P uptake rates and cellular P quota under moderate and high-DIP conditions. Therefore, the production of carotenoid and phycocyanin, and SOD activity increased under UV stress, leading to a better adaptation capability of M. aeruginosa and decreased negative effects of UV radiation on its growth. Overall, our findings demonstrated the significant interactive effects of P enrichment and irradiation on typical cyanobacteria, and the strong adaptation capability of M. aeruginosa in the eutrophic UV-radiated waters.

Timing of sub-lethal insecticide exposure determines parasite establishment success in an insect-helminth model.

Environmental toxicants are pervasive in nature, but sub-lethal effects on non-target organisms and their parasites are often overlooked. Particularly, studies on terrestrial hosts and their parasites exposed to agricultural toxicants are lacking. Here, we studied the effect of sequence and timing of sub-lethal exposures of the pyrethroid insecticide alpha-cypermethrin on parasite establishment using the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta and its intermediate insect host Tenebrio molitor as a model system. We exposed T. molitor to alpha-cypermethrin (LD20) before and after experimental H. diminuta infection and measured the establishment success of larval tapeworms. Also, we conducted in vitro studies quantifying the direct effect of the insecticide on parasite viability. Our results showed that there was no direct lethal effect of alpha-cypermethrin on H. diminuta cysticercoids at relevant concentrations (LD10 to LD90 of the intermediate host). However, we observed a significantly increased establishment of H. diminuta in beetles exposed to alpha-cypermethrin (LD20) after parasite infection. In contrast, parasite establishment was significantly lower in beetles exposed to the insecticide before parasite infection. Thus, our results indicate that environmental toxicants potentially impact host-parasite interactions in terrestrial systems, but that the outcome is context-dependent by enhancing or reducing parasite establishment depending on timing and sequence of exposure.

Evaluating the potential impact of bird predation on the SW Atlantic fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis

The southernmost permanent population of the fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis occurs along the Samborombón Bay (36°22′S, 56°45′W, Argentina), an important feeding site for many bird species, including ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres), whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), grey plovers (Pluvialis squatarola), american golden plovers (Pluvialis dominica) and gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica). Although all these birds are known to prey on many fiddler crab species worldwide, there is no estimation of their joint predation impacts, probably due to the difficulty in conducting experiments on an appropriate spatial scale. In these situations, computer simulation methods are useful tools. By using Monte Carlo methods and field data, we modeled the decrease of a fiddler crab population due to bird predation. The model found that under current bird occurrences and crab densities, birds do not consume more than 0.03% of the studied fiddler crab populations. Birds only consume more than 10% of the population if crab density is below 0.02 crabs m2, or if bird occurrences are at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than currently observed. Both situations are unlikely, as mean crab density is 140 crabs m2, and bird density is never so high. Furthermore, by monitoring three different fiddler crab patches, we found that bird predation cannot account for temporal density changes, suggesting that other population processes are more important than bird predation. In conclusion, even though fiddler crabs may exhibit strong predator-avoidance behavior, direct lethal effects of bird predation are currently small.

Sexual differences in the behavioural response to a variation in predation risk

AbstractPredators may influence their prey populations not only through direct lethal effects, but also by causing behavioural changes. The natural expansion of the wolf (Canis lupus) into the Alps provided the rare opportunity to monitor the responses of a prey species to the return of a large predator. Density effects have rarely been considered in the study of antipredator strategies. We examined the effects of wolf recolonisation and density modifications on group size and use of safe areas by Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) in Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), where no large terrestrial predator has been present for about a century. We documented that, in a few years, the variation in the factors affecting the landscape of fear caused significant modifications in ibex behavioural patterns that could not be accounted for by density changes only. Male groups decreased in size and moved closer to safer areas. The distance of female groups from refuge sites, instead, was not affected, and their propensity to live in groups was scarcely modified. Behavioural modifications likely caused a reduction in nutrient intake in adult male ibex, as they necessarily used lower‐quality feeding patches. Our results showed that male and female ibex, which are characterised by a strong dimorphism, adopted different strategies to solve the conflicting demands of foraging efficiently and avoiding predators.

Drug Resistance Alters CD38 Expression and in Vitro Response to Daratumumab in Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia Cells

Introduction: With approval of Daratumumab (Dara), targeting CD38 has become an attractive therapeutic option for various B cell cancers including WM. Using preclinical models of WM we investigated CD38 expression patterns, the impact of drug-resistance and the anti-WM effects of Dara, in vitro. An important aspect of our evaluation was the identification of optimal CD38 expression that correlates with maximal cytotoxic effects of Dara; such an approach has not been attempted previously in WM.Methods: WM cell lines (BCWM.1, MWCL.1 and RPCI.WM1) with isogenic proteasome inhibitor-resistant (CR, resistant to carfilzomib, bortezomib and ixazomib) and ibrutinib-resistant subclones (IR) were used. CD38 expression was measured by flow cytometry and a grading system was developed based on increasing CD38 MFI values with 1+= <50,000, 2+ = >50,000 and 3+ = >100,000. Daratumumab-induced specific lysis due to antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) or complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) was measured using the Calcein AM assay at an effector to target ratio (E:T) of 100:1. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and complement-containing serum were obtained from healthy human donors. Daratumumab, carfilzomib and ibrutinib were obtained from commercial sources.Results: Expression of CD38 (MFI) was highest in RPCI-WM1 (91295.6) > BCWM.1 (13865.3) > MWCL-1 (9804.19) (Figure 1A.). Intriguingly we observed an interesting change in CD38 expression with induction of drug resistance; all CR clones showed a decrease in MFI (RPCI-WM1/CR; øMFI 55960.5 > MWCL-1/CR; øMFI 3890.0 > BCWM.1/CR; øMFI 1381), while decreased expression was noted in all IR clones except one (MWCL-1/IR; øMFI 6272.96, BCWM.1/IR; øMFI 3076 vs. RPCI-WM1/IR; _MFI 461784.6) (Figure 1B). When we applied our CD38 expression grading system, RPCI-WM1/IR cells classified as Grade 3+, RPCI-WM1 and its CR clones as Grade 2+, while all other WM cells were Grade 1+. We noted that utilization of this grading system was helpful in correlating the extent of cytotoxicity to the level of CD38 expression (Table 1). We next treated WM cells with Dara and observed direct lysis in only RPCI-WM1/CR (43%) > BCWM.1/CR (19%) and RPCI-WM1 (11%) cells. However, when Dara-treated WM cells were cocultured with PBMCs, significantly increased ADCC was noted in RPCI-WM1 (90.3%), RPCI-WM1/IR (88.3%) and RPCI-WM1/CR (68.0%) cells (Figure 1C). Although CDC has been reported as a mechanism of mAb-mediated cell death in WM our evaluation of CDC as a potential effector mechanism in daratumumab-treated WM was negative as expected, highlighting ADCC rather than CDC as the primary cytotoxic mechanism.Conclusion: Our analysis of CD38 in WM preclinical models highlights several important findings: 1.) Expression of CD38 changes as WM tumor clones evolve with induction of drug-resistance; an effect that may also be cell-type specific as evidenced by increased CD38 expression in RPCI-WM1/IR cells, 2.) Daratumumab can exert a direct lethal effect in WM cells but this effect is variable and cell line dependent, 3.) Expression of CD38 is an important factor directing cytotoxicity of Dara however antigen density appears to be an important factor and a grading system can be beneficial for future preclinical and/or clinical studies, 4.) ADCC and not CDC appear to be the prominent mechanism of action and 5.) ADCC-mediated cytolytic activity of Dara is contingent on CD38 expression as evidenced by the most specific lysis being noted in CD38 Grade 2+ and 3+ expressing WM cells (Table 1.). These observations can help direct optimal design of clinical studies with Dara in WM where drug resistance and CD38 expression should be further explored as factors contributing to the clinical efficacy of this new agent. [Display omitted] [Display omitted] DisclosuresAilawadhi:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Amgen Inc: Consultancy; Takeda Oncology: Consultancy. Ansell:BMS, Seattle Genetics, Merck, Celldex and Affimed: Research Funding.

Potential impacts of geothermal energy use and storage of heat on groundwater quality, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes

Geothermal energy plays an increasingly important role as a renewable energy source. However, it induces temperature changes in natural thermally static groundwater ecosystems. Temperature impacts can considerably alter the groundwater chemical composition and quality, the metabolism of organisms, and, consequently, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functions. Combining original data from current studies with a compact review of recent findings, we show that a moderate increase in groundwater/aquifer temperature [+5 to 10 Kelvin (K)] generally causes only minor changes in water chemistry, microbial biodiversity, and ecosystem function in non-contaminated and energy-poor (oligotrophic) groundwater systems. In aquifers that are contaminated with organics, nutrients, and heavy metals—typical in urban areas and at sites with intensive land use (e.g., agriculture)—and particularly at temperatures ≥30 °C as regularly reached when heat is actively stored in aquifers, significant changes in water quality and ecological patterns can result. Here most critical are the heat-related mobilization of organic matter and contaminants (e.g., arsenic), the reduction and depletion of dissolved oxygen, and consequently the consecutive shift to anaerobic redox processes that may produce toxic and corrosive products (e.g., hydrogen sulfide) and greenhouse gases (e.g., methane and carbon dioxide). Severe temperature alterations lead to a reduced biodiversity of the aquifer’s microbial community with the establishment of atypical thermophilic assemblages. Groundwater fauna, which is specifically adapted to the cold groundwater habitat, may be sensitive to thermal changes at temperature increases of only 5 K with long-term emigration or direct lethal effects. From an ecological point of view, long-lasting or reoccurring temperature alterations need to be carefully evaluated and regulated in the future. We suggest developing local and regional vulnerability concepts for the sustainable and ecologically sound use of subterranean heat and cold.

Indirect effects of the generalist avian predator, the goshawk, on life history of an uncommon prey species, the stock dove.

Predators account for lethal effects in their prey, but importantly also for non-lethal indirect effects through the presence and the activity of predators. Such non-lethal effects include altered timing of reproduction, incidence of reproduction, clutch size and quality of offspring produced. We investigated the effects of goshawks Accipiter gentilis on reproduction of the stock dove Columba oenas in 1723 breeding events during 2006-2015 in Northern Denmark, while simultaneously accounting for effects of climate on reproduction of stock doves. Stock doves were consumed by goshawks 36 times less frequently than expected from their abundance, showing that lethal effects of predation were negligible. Laying date advanced at higher temperatures and stronger winds. Laying was delayed when the population size of goshawks increased, and the effects of goshawks interacted wind speed. The frequency of eggs that did not hatch increased with the population size of goshawks, and with increasing temperatures. Recruitment rate of stock doves decreased with increasing population size of goshawks and stock doves. These findings show that indirect effects of predation by goshawks on stock doves were much larger than direct lethal effects and that climate change interacted with predator-prey interactions.

The consequences of sublethal exposure to insecticide on the survivorship and mobility of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

The direct lethal effects of conventional and organic insecticides have been investigated thoroughly for all life stages of Halyomorpha halys. However, the sublethal effects of insecticides on the behavior of H. halys have not been well documented. Our aims were to evaluate the impact of a brief 5 min exposure to residues of bifenthrin, dinotefuran, methomyl, thiamethoxam and thiamethoxam + λ-cyhalothrin on survivorship, horizontal and vertical movement, and flight capacity of adult H. halys under laboratory conditions. Over half of the insecticide-exposed adults were classified as affected, moribund or dead after the 5 min exposure, compared with only 6% of the adults in the water-only control. We found that the horizontal movement, vertical climbing and flight capacity of adults exposed to insecticides were decreased by 20-60% overall relative to the water-only control. The most lethal insecticide was bifenthrin. Many insecticide-exposed H. halys adults retained significant mobility and flight capacity, with flight most pronounced immediately after exposure. These results suggest that brief exposure periods to efficacious insecticides will result in high dispersal and low mortality. Therefore, management strategies that enhance the retention of H. halys on insecticide-coated surfaces should be considered to ensure that adults are exposed to a lethal dose of insecticide. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lethal time of insecticides on the predator mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) following topical exposure

AbstractNeoseiulus fallacis (Garman) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is an efficient predator of the European red mite (ERM) (Panonychus ulmi (Koch); Acari: Tetranychidae) in Michigan, United States of America apple orchards and an important part of integrated pest management. Four reduced-risk insecticides (acetamiprid, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, and novaluron) and two conventional insecticides (esfenvalerate and carbaryl) were tested against N. fallacis for topical toxicity effects. Bioassays using a Potter spray tower were conducted to measure the topical toxicity of compounds when applied at field rate concentrations to N. fallacis. Lethal time was measured for adult N. fallacis at 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after treatment. Carbaryl and esfenvalerate showed the highest levels of toxicity to adult N. fallacis with shortest lethal time values (LT50) whereas the reduced risk insecticides novaluron, acetamiprid, spinetoram, and chlorantraniliprole were nontoxic. This study provides important information to apple growers regarding direct lethal effect of insecticides on predator mites and its implications to integrated mite management.

Effects of endosulfan in freshwater pond communities

AbstractPesticide use has led to ubiquitous contamination of natural habitats that can cause direct and indirect effects on nontarget organisms. Laboratory toxicity tests are valuable for evaluating the direct lethal effects of pesticides, but whether species differences in sensitivity identified from such tests are representative of more natural conditions is unknown. Studies of pesticide effects on communities are needed to understand the indirect effects of pesticides, but many such studies are focused on simplified communities and overlook the contribution of higher trophic levels (i.e., lethal predators), which can have interactive effects with pesticides and may play a large role in influencing community dynamics in contaminated habitats. Much of the research investigating pesticides in communities has focused on organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids, whereas organochlorines are understudied, despite the fact that they can be highly toxic and persist in the environment. We investigated the e...

Effects of weed harrowing frequency on beneficial arthropods, plants and crop yield

Weed harrowing is an alternative to herbicides but it may have negative effects on epigaeic arthropods. We assessed the effects of frequent (four) versus two harrowings during the growing season on the density and diversity of generalist arthropods and the weed flora. Collection by flooding was used to estimate arthropod densities, after collection of weeds and crop for biomass estimation. The predatory guild of spiders Tachyporus spp. carabids was reduced by frequent harrowing. Spiders and Tachyporus spp. were the most sensitive, with up to 38% higher density in plots harrowed only twice compared with four times. Furthermore, a marginally significant decrease in arthropod diversity was found after four harrowings. The negative effect of frequent harrowing on arthropods was probably caused by a combination of direct lethal effects and habitat disruption. Additional harrowings reduced weeds with weed seed biomass, on average, being 77% higher and species diversity being 48% higher in plots harrowed only twice compared with four times. There was a positive relationship between weed biomass and predatory arthropod guild density, supporting the hypothesis that weeds promote generalist arthropod predators. Weed harrowing should be carried out early and limited to a minimum to protect flora and fauna. Frequent harrowing had no positive effect on yield, suggesting that more weeds can be tolerated to support biodiversity and biocontrol.

Little field evidence of direct acute and short-term effects of current pesticides on the grey partridge

Direct lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides on farmland birds' populations are recurring questions and largely debated. In this context, we conducted an innovative study combining radiotelemetry, farmer surveys, residue analyses on carcasses and modelling to assess the unintentional effects of pesticides on terrestrial birds. We chose the grey partridge Perdix perdix as a case study because this typical bird of European cereal ecosystems is highly exposed to pesticides. In this paper we focused on acute and short-term impacts of pesticides on adult mortality during spring and summer in a one-substance approach (multiple exposure were not studied here) but for a large variety of active substances (a.s.) actually used in cultivated farmland of Northern France.The fate and the location of 529 partridges were monitored twice a day from early March to late August 2010 and 2011 on 12 sites (14,500ha). Their daily potential exposure to 183 a.s. was determined by overlapping birds' habitat use and daily pesticide application data. Based on this procedure, we calculated mortality rates within 10 days following a potential exposure for 157 different a.s.. 5 a.s. were associated with a “10-day mortality rate” higher than 10% but a single one (thiacloprid) is reported to be highly toxic to birds. We recorded 261 mortalities among which 94 carcasses were in suitable condition for residue analyses. We detected at least one a.s in 39.4% of carcasses. However, only 2 mortality cases were attributed to poisoning (carbofuran). Furthermore, modelling results showed that these lethal pesticide-related poisonings decreased the population growth rate by less than 1%.In conclusion, we did not point out important direct acute and short-term effects of pesticides currently used by farmers during the breeding season on the grey partridge. This is discussed with regards to the complexity of potential effects in operational conditions.