http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343513000493
Neonicotinoids, bee disorders and the sustainability of pollinator services.
• Jeroen P van der Sluijs1, <img
src="http://origin-cdn.els-cdn.com/sd/entities/REemail.gif" alt="E-mail the
corresponding author">,
• Noa Simon-Delso1,
• Dave Goulson2,
• Laura Maxim3,
• Jean-Marc Bonmatin4,
• Luc P Belzunces5
• 1 Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University,
Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
• 2 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK
• 3 Institut des Sciences de la Communication, CNRS UPS 3088, Paris, France
• 4 Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301 CNRS affiliated to Orléans
University and to INSERM, 45071 Orléans cedex 02, France
• 5 INRA, UR 406 Abeilles & Environnement, Laboratoire de Toxicologie
Environnementale, CS 40509, Avignon, France
Received 25 February 2013 - Accepted 24 May 2013 - Available online 6 June
2013 - Open Access
Highlights
• In 20 years neonicotinoids have become the most widely used class of
insecticides.
• Neonicotinoids have transformed the agrochemical landscape for
pollinators.
• At field realistic concentrations, neonicotinoids cause a wide range of
weakening effects on bees.
• A transition to pollinator-friendly alternatives to neonicotinoids is
urgently needed.
Abstract
In less than 20 years, neonicotinoids have become the most widely used class
of insecticides with a global market share of more than 25%. For
pollinators, this has transformed the agrochemical landscape. These
chemicals mimic the acetylcholine neurotransmitter and are highly neurotoxic
to insects. Their systemic mode of action inside plants means phloemic and
xylemic transport that results in translocation to pollen and nectar. Their
wide application, persistence in soil and water and potential for uptake by
succeeding crops and wild plants make neonicotinoids bioavailable to
pollinators at sublethal concentrations for most of the year. This results
in the frequent presence of neonicotinoids in honeybee hives. At field
realistic doses, neonicotinoids cause a wide range of adverse sublethal
effects in honeybee and bumblebee colonies, affecting colony performance
through impairment of foraging success, brood and larval development, memory
and learning, damage to the central nervous system, susceptibility to
diseases, hive hygiene etc. Neonicotinoids exhibit a toxicity that can be
amplified by various other agrochemicals and they synergistically reinforce
infectious agents such as Nosema ceranae which together can produce colony
collapse. The limited available data suggest that they are likely to exhibit
similar toxicity to virtually all other wild insect pollinators. The
worldwide production of neonicotinoids is still increasing. Therefore a
transition to pollinator-friendly alternatives to neonicotinoids is urgently
needed for the sake of the sustainability of pollinator ecosystem services.
Kind regards,
Ghislain De Roeck,
Belgium.
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