Is the social wasp Polybia paulista a silent victim of neonicotinoid contamination?

Batista, Nathan Rodrigues; Oliveira, Vinicius Edson Soares de; Crispim, Paula Danyelle; Nocelli, Roberta Cornélio Ferreira; Antonialli-Junior, William Fernando

Is the social wasp Polybia paulista a silent victim of neonicotinoid contamination?

2022

Batista, Nathan Rodrigues | Oliveira, Vinicius Edson Soares de | Crispim, Paula Danyelle | Nocelli, Roberta Cornélio Ferreira | Antonialli-Junior, William Fernando

Neonicotinoids are among the chemicals most widely used against insects considered agricultural pests, although they may also affect nontarget species, as has been reported for social bees. Social wasps are recognized as efficient predators of larvae of other insects, including pest species, so they may have contact with insecticides, at least indirectly. However, to date, there have been no studies investigating the consequences for social wasps of the use of neonicotinoids. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain the topical and oral acute lethal mean doses of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, as well as to evaluate the effects of sublethal contamination, for the social wasp Polybia paulista. Foraging wasps were exposed orally and topically, with monitoring of their mortality after 24 and 48 h, in order to calculate the LD₅₀ values. Other wasps were then exposed with sublethal doses, in order to evaluate the effects of contamination on their mobility. The results indicated that P. paulista workers are as sensitive to thiamethoxam contamination as several nontarget species studied previously. Exposure to a sublethal dose (LD₁₀) negatively affected their mobility. It could be concluded that social wasp colonies may be as much affected by exposure to neonicotinoids as social bees. Further toxicological studies should be conducted, evaluating other parameters and different species, in order to understand the extent of the problems faced by these insects due to the use of neonicotinoids.

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