title: Bees prefer foods containing neonicotinoid pesticides.
abstract: The impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on insect pollinators is highly controversial. Sublethal concentrations alter the behaviour of social bees and reduce survival of entire colonies. However, critics argue that the reported negative effects only arise from neonicotinoid concentrations that are greater than those found in the nectar and pollen of pesticide-treated plants. Furthermore, it has been suggested that bees could choose to forage on other available flowers and hence avoid or dilute exposure. Here, using a two-choice feeding assay, we show that the honeybee, Apis mellifera, and the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, do not avoid nectar-relevant concentrations of three of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, imidacloprid (IMD), thiamethoxam (TMX), and clothianidin (CLO), in food. Moreover, bees of both species prefer to eat more of sucrose solutions laced with IMD or TMX than sucrose alone. Stimulation with IMD, TMX and CLO neither elicited spiking responses from gustatory neurons in the bees' mouthparts, nor inhibited the responses of sucrose-sensitive neurons. Our data indicate that bees cannot taste neonicotinoids and are not repelled by them. Instead, bees preferred solutions containing IMD or TMX, even though the consumption of these pesticides caused them to eat less food overall. This work shows that bees cannot control their exposure to neonicotinoids in food and implies that treating flowering crops with IMD and TMX presents a sizeable hazard to foraging bees.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Erin Jo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Tiedeken
authors.forename: Kerry L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Simcock
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Derveau
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Softley
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stout
authors.forename: Geraldine A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D006146:Guanidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D010078:Oxazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D057048:Plant Nectar / Q000737:chemistry*; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry; D054817:Pollination; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D000077922:Thiamethoxam; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D007093:Imidazoles; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010078:Oxazines; D057048:Plant Nectar; D013844:Thiazoles; C480342:clothianidin; C082359:imidacloprid; D000077922:Thiamethoxam