DOI: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e159590

Authors: Alicia Kling, Julia Osterman, Tomasz Kiljanek, Dimitry Wintermantel

Abstract: Pesticide effect studies on pollinators focus predominantly on the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, which is also the only species for which EU regulations require risk assessment. Reliance on A. mellifera as the only model species for pollinators has been widely criticized, as its life history traits may lead to differences in pesticide sensitivity and exposure compared to other species. Therefore, current guidelines by EFSA recommend testing also on bumblebees and solitary bees, which has been done in practice almost exclusively on the generalist species Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis. Oligolectic bee species remain largely overlooked, which is concerning as they have experienced greater range reductions than generalist species. In addition, pesticide risk to pollinators is typically assessed for individual compounds or products, even though in reality pollinators are exposed to a mixture of several pesticides where synergistic effects may occur.Here, we present a protocol for a semi-field experiment that assesses the effects of two pesticides and their combination on the oligolectic Osmia brevicornis and the generalist O. bicornis. Conducted as part of the EU project WildPosh, the experiment builds on laboratory studies investigating pesticide impacts on pollinator health and is designed to test the effects of realistic exposure levels. Specifically, the experiment, for which we detail the methodology here, tests the insecticide Mospilan SG (a.i. acetamiprid), the fungicide Folicur (a.i. tebuconazole), and their combination. The study follows a full-factorial design using 40 flight cages across four spray treatments—Mospilan SG, Folicur, their combination, and a negative control — with 10 cages per treatment. Adult bees of both species will be exposed to the spray treatments for a minimum of 7 days and various endpoints regarding fitness (i.e., survival and reproduction) as well as foraging behavior of the two species and pollination success will be assessed. The results of this experiment will provide information on whether the spray treatments differentially affect the generalist species O. bicornis and the closely related oligolectic species O. brevicornis, and on any interactions between the insecticide and the fungicide at realistic exposure levels.

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DOI: 10.3897/rio.11.e156185

Authors: Denis Michez, Michel Bocquet, Philippe Bulet, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, Pilar De la Rúa, Reet Karise, Tomasz Kiljanek, Alexandra Klein, Marion Laurent, Elli Leadbeater, Marika Mänd, Anne-Claire Martel, Teodor Metodiev, Marija Miličić, Julia Osterman, Robert Paxton, Simon Potts, Sara Reverte, Marie-Pierre Rivière, Oliver Schweiger, Deepa Senapathi, Olga Tcheremenskaia, Simone Tosi, Ante Vujic, Dimitry Wintermantel, Mark Brown

Abstract: Wild fauna and flora are facing variable and challenging environmental disturbances. One of the animal groups that is most impacted by this, concerns pollinators. Pollinators face multiple threats, but the spread of anthropogenic chemicals (i.e. pesticides) form a major potential driver of these threats. WildPosh is a multi-actor, transdisciplinary project whose overarching mission and ambition are to significantly improve the evaluation of risk to pesticide exposure of wild pollinators, and enhance the sustainable health of pollinators and pollination services in Europe. As chemical exposure varies geographically, across cropping systems, inside the crop system and among pollinators, we will characterise exposure by doing fieldwork in 4 countries representing the four main climatic European regions, Mediterranean, Atlantic, Continental and Boreal climate in Germany, England, Estonia and Spain. We will also develop experiments in controlled conditions on different species of bees, syrphid flies, moths and butterflies, and collect in silico data on their traits and on toxicity of pesticides. With WildPosh, we aim to achieve the following objectives:1. Determining the real-world agrochemical exposure profile of wild pollinators at landscape level, within and among sites;2. Using integrated and controlled laboratory and semi-field experiments to characterise causal relationships between pesticides and pollinator health;3. Building an open database on pollinator traits/distribution and chemicals to define exposure and toxicity scenarios by developing databases on ecological traits and the spatial distribution of pollinators in relation to their potential exposure to pesticide;4. Proposing integrated systems-based risk assessment tools for risk assessment for wild pollinators; and5. Driving policy and practice through interactive innovation, meeting the need for monitoring tools, novel and innovative screening protocols for practice and policymaker use.

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