Effects of the interaction between flupyradifurone and pyraclostrobin combined with fluxapyroxad on foragers of the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris (Latreille, 1811)

• Grant number: 23/02599-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2023
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Applied Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Osmar Malaspina
• Grantee: Lais Vieira Bello Inoue
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/21097-3 - Bee-agriculture interactions: perspectives to sustainable use, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

Bees are essential pollinators for the balance of natural ecosystems, relevant for agricultural production and with high pharmaceutical potential, playing an indispensable role biodiversity and world economy. However, anthropic actions have threatened the survival of these important pollinating insects, especially the use of pesticides, which is increasingly present in crops of commercial interest. In Brazil, stingless bee species stand out for their high ecological and economic relevance, as is the case of the species Melipona scutellaris (Latreille, 1811), native to the Northeast region of the country. Currently, studies have demonstrated its high sensitivity to concentrations of active ingredients of pesticides in the environment. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the sublethal effects on stingless bees when compared to the model species (Apis mellifera) in ecotoxicological studies. In this sense, and based on the increase in pesticides released on the national market, the amount of research relating their effects to non-target organisms is still insufficient. As a result, this project aims to analyze, through oral exposure, the possible effects of formulated products containing the active ingredients flupyradifurone (insecticide) and pyraclostrobin combined with fluxapyroxad (fungicides) on behavior, survival rate, morphophysiology and cell viability of the midgut and Malpighian tubules in M. scutellaris, through quantitative and semi-quantitative analyses. The results obtained will contribute to reduce the knowledge gap of the real sublethal effects on stingless bees, as well as may encourage programs for more adequate management of pesticides in crops visited by the species.