A study conducted by Brazilian researchers affiliated with São Paulo State University (UNESP), the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) has shown how three pesticides widely used by farmers in Brazil – imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate – affect native stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris. Whether they are used singly or combined, the pesticides impaired the bees’ ability to move about and weakened their defenses.
A study conducted by Brazilian researchers affiliated with São Paulo State University (UNESP), the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) has shown how three pesticides widely used by farmers in Brazil – imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate – affect native stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris. Whether they are used singly or combined, the pesticides impaired the bees’ ability to move about and weakened their defenses. An article describing the results of the study is published in the journal Environmental Pollution.
Indiscriminate use of pesticides and their adverse effects on the survival of bees are under discussion worldwide, and a great deal of research is being done on the subject, yet most of the findings published to date focus on European and North American bee species. In Brazil, native stingless bees like M. scutellaris are the priority because of their vital role in pollinating many wild plants and economically important crops.
Read more at: Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo
Bees fed a solution containing one or more of the pesticides walked less, moved more slowly, and displayed fat body morphological changes (Photo Credit: Graziele Luna)
