Imidacloprid in leaves from systemically treated trees may inhibit litter breakdown by non-target invertebrates.
Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that is used in trees to control several invasive, wood-boring insect pests in North America. Applications to deciduous trees result in foliar concentrations of imidacloprid that could pose a risk of harm to non-target decomposer invertebrates when autumn-shed leaves fall to forest floors or adjacent water bodies. Selection experiments were conducted in aquatic and terrestrial microcosms to test the hypothesis that non-target, leaf-shredding invertebrates can detect and avoid leaves from imidacloprid-treated trees thereby circumventing effects on leaf litter decomposition. There was no significant preferential feeding on non-contaminated leaves in selection microcosms indicating that the invertebrates could not detect and avoid imidacloprid-containing leaves. Mass loss and area consumed of both imidacloprid-containing and natural leaves in selection microcosms were significantly less than in control microcosms, indicating a sub-lethal feeding inhibition effect from consumption of leaf material at realistic field concentrations of 18-30microg/g fresh weight. Our results indicate that imidacloprid at realistic concentrations in leaves can inhibit leaf litter breakdown through adverse sub-lethal effects on decomposer invertebrates.
Kreutzweiser
David P
DP
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6A 2E5. Dave.Kreutzweiser@nrcan.gc.ca
Thompson
Dean G
DG
Scarr
Taylor A
TA
D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000633:toxicity*; D007313:Insecta / Q000378:metabolism; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D014197:Trees / Q000378:metabolism*
D007093:Imidazoles; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; C082359:imidacloprid