Comparative toxicities and synergism of apple orchard pesticides to Apis mellifera (L.) and Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski)

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 9;8(9):e72587. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072587. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The topical toxicities of five commercial grade pesticides commonly sprayed in apple orchards were estimated on adult worker honey bees, Apis mellifera (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Japanese orchard bees, Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). The pesticides were acetamiprid (Assail 30SG), λ-cyhalothrin (Warrior II), dimethoate (Dimethoate 4EC), phosmet (Imidan 70W), and imidacloprid (Provado 1.6F). At least 5 doses of each chemical, diluted in distilled water, were applied to freshly-eclosed adult bees. Mortality was assessed after 48 hr. Dose-mortality regressions were analyzed by probit analysis to test the hypotheses of parallelism and equality by likelihood ratio tests. For A. mellifera, the decreasing order of toxicity at LD₅₀ was imidacloprid, λ-cyhalothrin, dimethoate, phosmet, and acetamiprid. For O. cornifrons, the decreasing order of toxicity at LD₅₀ was dimethoate, λ-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and phosmet. Interaction of imidacloprid or acetamiprid with the fungicide fenbuconazole (Indar 2F) was also tested in a 1∶1 proportion for each species. Estimates of response parameters for each mixture component applied to each species were compared with dose-response data for each mixture in statistical tests of the hypothesis of independent joint action. For each mixture, the interaction of fenbuconazole (a material non-toxic to both species) was significant and positive along the entire line for the pesticide. Our results clearly show that responses of A. mellifera cannot be extrapolated to responses of O.cornifrons, and that synergism of neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides occurs using formulated product in mixtures as they are commonly applied in apple orchards.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bees / drug effects*
  • Dimethoate / pharmacology
  • Drug Synergism
  • Fungicides, Industrial / pharmacology*
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Insecticides / pharmacology*
  • Lethal Dose 50
  • Malus*
  • Neonicotinoids
  • Nitriles / pharmacology
  • Nitro Compounds / pharmacology
  • Phosmet / pharmacology
  • Pyrethrins / pharmacology
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Triazoles / pharmacology

Substances

  • Fungicides, Industrial
  • Imidazoles
  • Insecticides
  • Neonicotinoids
  • Nitriles
  • Nitro Compounds
  • Pyrethrins
  • Pyridines
  • Triazoles
  • imidacloprid
  • acetamiprid
  • fenbuconazole
  • cyhalothrin
  • Phosmet
  • Dimethoate

Grants and funding

The authors thank the USDA NIFA for a SCRI grant (# PEN04398) on sustainable fruit pollination and the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania for their financial support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.