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Toxicity and biochemical changes in the honey bee Apis mellifera exposed to four insecticides under laboratory conditions

Apidologie volume 46, pages 177–193 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The toxicity and biochemical changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera) treated with four insecticides—acetamiprid, dinotefuran, pymetrozine, and pyridalyl—were evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. Foraging bees were exposed to different dosages of tested insecticides by oral feeding at different dosages recommended by the manufacturers for agricultural crops in Egypt (0.01-, 0.02-, 0.04-, 0.1-, and onefold). Moreover, the acute toxicity of these insecticides was evaluated by topical application on the thorax of foragers to calculate the LD50 values. The specific activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carboxylesterase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were measured in different tissues of surviving foragers after 24 h of treatment to explore the possible mode of action of insecticides and honey bees' strategies for detoxification and tolerance. The results indicated that regardless of how the bees were exposed to insecticides, dinotefuran was extremely toxic to adult A. mellifera (topical LD50 = 0.0006 μg/bee and oral feeding LC50 = 1.29 mg/L). Pyridalyl showed moderate toxicity compared to dinotefuran at the recommended application rate; however, acetamiprid and pymetrozine were relatively less toxic to bees (<25 % mortality at the recommended application rates). Data showed that tested insecticides varied in their influence on AChE, carboxylesterase, GST, and PPO activities that were highly correlated to their toxicity against A. mellifera. The biochemical analysis of carboxylesterase and GST showed that these enzymes detoxified the low doses of acetamiprid, pymetrozine, and pyridalyl, but not dinotefuran. Overall, our results are valuable not only in evaluating the toxicity of common insecticides onto honey bees, but also in highlighting the validity of enzymes activities as proper indicators for exposure to agrochemicals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pesticide Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, 21545, El-Shatby, Alexandria, Egypt

    Mohamed E. I. Badawy

  2. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, 22516, Damanhour, Egypt

    Hoda M. Nasr & Entsar I. Rabea

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  1. Mohamed E. I. Badawy
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  2. Hoda M. Nasr
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  3. Entsar I. Rabea
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Correspondence to Mohamed E. I. Badawy.

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Manuscript Editor: Monique Gauthier

Toxicité et modifications biochimiques chez les abeilles Apis mellifera exposées à quatre insecticides en conditions de laboratoire

action des insecticides / détoxification / analyse biochimique / enzyme

Toxizität und biochemische Veränderungen bei Honigbienen ( Apis mellifera ) nach Exposition gegenüber 4 Insektiziden unter Laborbedingungen

Insektizide Wirkung / biochemische Analyse / Entgiftung

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Badawy, M.E.I., Nasr, H.M. & Rabea, E.I. Toxicity and biochemical changes in the honey bee Apis mellifera exposed to four insecticides under laboratory conditions. Apidologie 46, 177–193 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-014-0315-0

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Keywords

  • Apis mellifera
  • insecticidal action
  • biochemical analysis
  • detoxification