Influence of sublethal exposure to chlorantraniliprole on larval development and flight muscle formation of Scaptotrigona postica bees (Latreille, 1807)

• Grant number: 24/00110-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Roberta Cornélio Ferreira Nocelli
• Grantee: Laís Carraro
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bees provide an extremely important environmental service, and are responsible for pollinating 90% of crops. Brazil has the largest bee biodiversity in the world. On the other hand, it has an area of 30% dedicated to agricultural production, being considered one of the most impactful factors for the environment due to the use of pesticides. The active ingredient Chlorantraniliprole belongs to the diamide group and holds great promise for pest management strategies. Diamides are selective activators of ryanodine receptors (RyR), which are large Ca2+ release channels, and when in contact they are responsible for causing lethargy and lethality in insects. In bees, the flight muscle develops during pupation and most studies involving toxicology are carried out in adulthood, using the species Apis mellifera as the main model. Therefore, aware of the use of pesticides in agriculture and the importance of bee pollination in productivity, this study seeks to evaluate the interference of sublethal doses of the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole on larval development and the formation of flight muscles in native Scaptotrigona postica bees. For this, individuals in the larval stage will be divided into five experimental groups: Negative control; Positive control; Solvent control; and two concentrations of Chlorantraniliprole. The development of bees will be evaluated, using parameters: food consumption, defecation, pupation, emergence and mortality and measurement of head width and intertegular distance of newly emerged adults; the structure of the flight muscles will be evaluated through morphological analyzes with HE staining, and immunofluorescence for the detection of calcium, mitochondria and actin. The data obtained will be analyzed using appropriate statistical models.