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The effects of four crop protection products on the morphology and ultrastructure of the hypopharyngeal gland of the European honeybee, Apis mellifera

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Abstract

This study describes the impact of sublethal doses of 4 pesticides on size and morphology of the honeybee worker’s hypopharyngeal glands. This gland plays an essential role in brood care by young workers, and thus colony growth. Contaminating 7 day old caged bees, we sampled after 1 day and 1 week for Captan-, Imidacloprid- and Indoxacarb-treated bees and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 days for Fenoxycarb-treated bees. The glands’ acini 1 week post-treatment were all significantly smaller in treated bees. However, lightand electron microscopy showed hardly any difference between controls and gland cells, treated with Captan, Imidacloprid or Indoxacarb. Yet upon Fenoxycarb-treatment, acini showed a decrease in size, a granular texture and unorganized cytoplasm more quickly than normal. Indeed, after only 7 days, Fenoxycarb-treated glands displayed features typical of the onset of foraging in older bees.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Kevin Heylen & Lutgarde Arckens

  2. Laboratory of Entomology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Kevin Heylen & Johan Billen

  3. Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Kevin Heylen & Roger Huybrechts

  4. Zoology Department PcFruit, Fruitteenweg 1, 3800, Sint-Truiden, Belgium

    Bruno Gobin

  5. Research Centre for Ornamental Plants, Schaessestraat 18, 9070, Destelbergen, Belgium

    Bruno Gobin

Authors
  1. Kevin Heylen
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  2. Bruno Gobin
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  3. Lutgarde Arckens
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  4. Roger Huybrechts
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  5. Johan Billen
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Correspondence to Johan Billen.

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Manuscript editor: Monique Gauthier

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Heylen, K., Gobin, B., Arckens, L. et al. The effects of four crop protection products on the morphology and ultrastructure of the hypopharyngeal gland of the European honeybee, Apis mellifera . Apidologie 42, 103–116 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2010043

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2010043

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