Neonicotinoid exposure disrupts bumblebee nest behavior, social networks, and thermoregulation

Neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect bee colonies, but the behavioral mechanisms by which these compounds impair colony growth remain unclear. Here, we investigate imidacloprid's effects on bumblebee worker behavior within the nest, using an automated, robotic platform for continuous,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2018-11, Vol.362 (6415), p.683-686
Main Authors: Crall, James D, Switzer, Callin M, Oppenheimer, Robert L, Ford Versypt, Ashlee N, Dey, Biswadip, Brown, Andrea, Eyster, Mackay, Guérin, Claire, Pierce, Naomi E, Combes, Stacey A, de Bivort, Benjamin L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Automation
Bees
Bees - drug effects
Bees - physiology
Body Temperature Regulation - drug effects
Disruption
Environmental Exposure
Exposure
Imidacloprid
Insecticides
Insecticides - toxicity
Insects
Monitoring
Neonicotinoids - toxicity
Nesting behavior
Nesting Behavior - drug effects
Nests
Nitro Compounds - toxicity
Nursing
Pesticides
Pollinators
Reduction
Social Behavior
Social Networks
Social organization
Thermoregulation
Time of use
Viability
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Summary:Neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect bee colonies, but the behavioral mechanisms by which these compounds impair colony growth remain unclear. Here, we investigate imidacloprid's effects on bumblebee worker behavior within the nest, using an automated, robotic platform for continuous, multicolony monitoring of uniquely identified workers. We find that exposure to field-realistic levels of imidacloprid impairs nursing and alters social and spatial dynamics within nests, but that these effects vary substantially with time of day. In the field, imidacloprid impairs colony thermoregulation, including the construction of an insulating wax canopy. Our results show that neonicotinoids induce widespread disruption of within-nest worker behavior that may contribute to impaired growth, highlighting the potential of automated techniques for characterizing the multifaceted, dynamic impacts of stressors on behavior in bee colonies.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aat1598