Effects of proteic supplementation on the longevity of Apis mellifera L. honeybees exposed to Fipronil

• Grant number: 17/05695-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi
• Grantee: Iloran do Rosário Corrêa Moreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Similar to any other animal, honey bees have specific nutrient requirements so they can develop their full productive and reproductive potential. The deficiency of proteins in adequate quantity and quality can cause the weakening of the colony, decreasing the population development rate. Studies have shown that protein supplementation may increase the amount of protein in the hemolymph of honey bees; and improve its resistance to insecticide contamination, such as fipronil, which is considered highly toxic to bees. Thus, the objectives of this project are to evaluate the effects protein supplementation in the longevity of Apis mellifera L. honeybees exposed to insecticide fipronil. In the field, will be used six beehives distributed in the following treatments: T1 Control - without protein supplementation; and T2 - artificial feed with 25% of crude protein that will be offered weekly in the amount of 200g / colony. Four weeks after the beginning of protein supplementation, newly emerged bees will be marked with non-toxic pen and the original hives will be returned to be collected again in the nursery phase (six days old) for protein quantification in the hemolymph and evaluation of their longevity after exposure to LD50 of the insecticide fipronil (0.009±0.003¼g/abelha), in laboratory conditions. The protein will be quantified by Bradford method, with a spectrophotometer reading at 595 nm, using bovine serum albumin as standard. For the evaluation of the longevity, the bees will be exposed or not to LD50 of contact of the insecticide fipronil and kept in incubator until the death of all the bees. The mortality will be recorded daily. The results of the concentration of proteins in the hemolymph and the longevity of the bees will be evaluated using Student's t-Test. Results will be considered statistically different when P <0.05. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOREIRA, ILORAN R. C.; BARROS, DANIEL C. B.; LUNARDI, JULIANA S.; ORSI, RICARDO O.. Effect of Protein Supplementation in the Bee Apis mellifera L. Exposed to the Agrochemical Fipronil. Sociobiology, v. 68, n. 3, SEP 2021. (17/05695-8)