Do pesticide and pathogen interactions drive wild bee declines?

Straub, Lars; Strobl, Verena; Yañez, Orlando; Albrecht, Matthias; Brown, Mark J F; Neumann, Peter (2022). Do pesticide and pathogen interactions drive wild bee declines? International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife, 18, pp. 232-243. Elsevier 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.06.001

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There is clear evidence for wild insect declines globally. Habitat loss, climate change, pests, pathogens and environmental pollution have all been shown to cause detrimental effects on insects. However, interactive effects between these stressors may be the key to understanding reported declines. Here, we review the literature on pesticide and pathogen interactions for wild bees, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research fostering mitigation of the observed declines. The limited studies available suggest that effects of pesticides most likely override effects of pathogens. Bees feeding on flowers and building sheltered nests, are likely less adapted to toxins compared to other insects, which potential susceptibility is enhanced by the reduced number of genes encoding detoxifying enzymes compared with other insect species. However, to date all 10 studies using a fully-crossed design have been conducted in the laboratory on social bees using Crithidia spp. or Nosema spp., identifying an urgent need to test solitary bees and other pathogens. Similarly, since laboratory studies do not necessarily reflect field conditions, semi-field and field studies are essential if we are to understand these interactions and their potential effects in the real-world. In conclusion, there is a clear need for empirical (semi-)field studies on a range of pesticides, pathogens, and insect species to better understand the pathways and mechanisms underlying their potential interactions, in particular their relevance for insect fitness and population dynamics. Such data are indispensable to drive forward robust modelling of interactive effects in different environmental settings and foster predictive science. This will enable pesticide and pathogen interactions to be put into the context of other stressors more broadly, evaluating their relative importance in driving the observed declines of wild bees and other insects. Ultimately, this will enable the development of more effective mitigation measures to protect bees and the ecosystem services they supply.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health (DCR-VPH)
05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health (DCR-VPH) > Institute of Bee Health

UniBE Contributor:

Straub, Lars, Strobl, Verena, Yanez Amayo, Victor Orlando, Neumann, Peter (B)

Subjects:

500 Science > 590 Animals (Zoology)
600 Technology > 630 Agriculture

ISSN:

2213-2244

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Pubmed Import

Date Deposited:

11 Jul 2022 08:01

Last Modified:

29 Mar 2023 23:38

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.06.001

PubMed ID:

35800107

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Fitness Interactions Pathogens Pesticides Wild bees

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/171197

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/171197

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