EXPOSURE OF BULLFROG TADPOLES TO THE PESTICIDES IMIDACLOPRID AND TEBUCONAZOLE: ASSESSMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO STRESS.

• Grant number: 24/22523-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Ecology of Domestic Animals and Ethology
• Principal Investigator: Raquel Aparecida Moreira
• Grantee: Allan Petrick Lacerda
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12104-4 - Fate and impacts of microplastics and pesticides in aquatic and terrestrial matrices in agricultural contexts, AP.TEM

Abstract

This study will investigate how bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana) tadpoles respond to stress caused by exposure to the pesticides Imidacloprid and Tebuconazole through the analysis of swimming behavior and physiological responses. Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide widely used in agriculture for pest control, has high persistence and mobility, posing an environmental threat, especially to aquatic organisms. It primarily affects the central nervous system of insects but can also induce stress in amphibians, including their aquatic phase (tadpoles). Tebuconazole, on the other hand, is an effective fungicide, yet harmful to various species within aquatic ecosystems due to its bioaccumulation capacity and long persistence in the environment. Both pesticides can interfere with tadpole behavior, altering escape capacity and swimming patterns, as well as impacting physiological markers such as cortisol and glucose, which are indicative of stress. The objective of this study is to compare different individual responses to pesticide exposure, evaluating how these compounds influence tadpole behavior and well-being. To conduct the study, tadpoles will be exposed to varying concentrations of the pesticides in controlled experimental systems, where analyses of swimming behavior, glucose, and lactate will be performed. The methodology also includes behavioral evaluations in contamination gradients to investigate potential avoidance responses. The results of this study are fundamental to understanding the sublethal impacts of widely used agricultural pesticides on aquatic organisms, providing insights for environmental risk assessment and the implementation of strategies that reconcile agricultural practices with ecosystem conservation. (AU)