Do neonicotinoid insecticides impaired olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera?

Imran, Muhammad,Sheikh, Umer Ayyaz Aslam,Nasir, Muhammad,Ghaffar, Muhammad Abdul,Tamkeen, Ansa,Iqbal, Muhammad Aamir Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2019 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.38 No.1

Bee's population is declining and disappearing at alarming rate. There are many factors responsible for declining the population of bees including diseases, natural enemies, environmental conditions and pesticides. Insecticides play its role dramatically for their population decline and neonicotinoid insecticides are critically important due to their wide application for pest control. Keeping in view of above problem, effect of neonicotinoid insecticides on olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera was observed using Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER) method. In this method, bees were harnessed in centrifuges tubes and feed on insecticides mixed sugar solution after three hours hunger. Bees were checked by feeding on non-treated sugar solution to observe PER response. Minimum proboscis extension was observed for acetamiprid and imidacloprid with 26% and 20% respectively at their recommend field doses while it was maximum for dinotefuran and thiamethoxam with 73% and 60% respectively. Only 40% bees showed response when exposed at 1/10 concentration of field dose for imidacloprid and the least at 1/100 of field dose. At control (Sugar solution) about 90% bees showed PER response. Among these neonicotinoid insecticides tested, imidacloprid and acetamiprid were the most damaging which impaired the olfactory learning performance in Apis mellifera.

Do neonicotinoid insecticides impaired olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera?

Muhammad Imran,Umer Ayyaz Aslam Sheikh,Muhammad Nasir,Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar,Ansa Tamkeen,Muhammad Aamir Iqbal 한국잠사학회 2019 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.38 No.1

Bee’s population is declining and disappearing at alarming rate. There are many factors responsible for declining the population of bees including diseases, natural enemies, environmental conditions and pesticides. Insecticides play its role dramatically for their population decline and neonicotinoid insecticides are critically important due to their wide application for pest control. Keeping in view of above problem, effect of neonicotinoid insecticides on olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera was observed using Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER) method. In this method, bees were harnessed in centrifuges tubes and feed on insecticides mixed sugar solution after three hours hunger. Bees were checked by feeding on non-treated sugar solution to observe PER response. Minimum proboscis extension was observed for acetamiprid and imidacloprid with 26% and 20% respectively at their recommend field doses while it was maximum for dinotefuran and thiamethoxam with 73% and 60% respectively. Only 40% bees showed response when exposed at 1/10 concentration of field dose for imidacloprid and the least at 1/100 of field dose. At control (Sugar solution) about 90% bees showed PER response. Among these neonicotinoid insecticides tested, imidacloprid and acetamiprid were the most damaging which impaired the olfactory learning performance in Apis mellifera. Bombyx mori silkworm has many silkworm varieties and the structure and properties of silk can be varied depending on the silkworm variety. Therefore, the choice of proper silkworm variety can be an effective way to control and improve the performance of silk materials in biomedical and cosmetic applications. As a preliminary study, in the present study, thirty nine Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons were prepared and their molecular conformation and crystallinity were examined. Molecular conformation and the crystallinity of silkworm cocoons were different depending on the silkworm variety. Interestingly, the crystallinity index of outside of cocoon was different from that of inside of cocoon and the difference between the crystallinities of outside and inside of cocoon was varied depending on the silkworm variety. In this study, the silkworm variety cocoons were classified into three groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3) based on the difference of crystallinities between outside and inside.

Are colony developmental stages of bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (hymenoptera: apidae) affected by different concentrations of sugar and honey solutions?

( Muhammad Imran ),( Munir Ahmad ),( Muhammad Naeem ),( Khalid Mahmood ),( Muhammad Nasir ),( Umer Ayyaz Aslam Sheikh ) 한국잠사학회 2017 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.34 No.2

Bumblebees, more efficient than honeybees, provide important services for pollination especially in tomato, pepper, cucumber, strawberries and other crops grown under tunnel farming or glasshouse conditions to yield maximization. These bees require pollen and nectar to meet their dietary needs and maintain their colony structure, development and reproduction. Keeping in view their economic importance, the effect of five concentrations of sugar and honey solutions (1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 2:1,1.5:1) each as alternative to nectar were used to observe their effect on life history parameters of Bombus terrestris . The 1:1 ratio of sugar solution was found most effective followed by 1.5:1, 1:1.5, 1:2 and 2:1 and also more effective of all five concentrations of honey solutions on all three stages of colony development i.e., at colony initiation, colony development and colony maturation stages. At colony initiation stage, early pre-oviposition period (6.40± 0.97 days), early emergence of first worker in the first batch (25.40±1.21 days) and maximum numbers of workers (6.20±0.24) emergence in the first batch were observed at 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. Colonies reared on 1:1 ratio of sugar solution reached earlier (52.13±1.28 days) at colony foundation stage with minimum mortality (3.27±0.54 workers). At colony maturation stage, maximum numbers of workers, sexual (males, queens) and maximum mother queen longevity was observed at the same 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. It can be suggested from present study that sugar solution as alternative of nectar at 1:1 ratio was better than other sugar concentration levels and also from those of honey solution.

Are colony developmental stages of bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (hymenoptera: apidae) affected by different concentrations of sugar and honey solutions?

Imran, Muhammad,Ahmad, Munir,Naeem, Muhammad,Mahmood, Khalid,Nasir, Muhammad,Aslam Sheikh, Umer Ayyaz Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2017 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.34 No.2

Bumblebees, more efficient than honeybees, provide important services for pollination especially in tomato, pepper, cucumber, strawberries and other crops grown under tunnel farming or glasshouse conditions to yield maximization. These bees require pollen and nectar to meet their dietary needs and maintain their colony structure, development and reproduction. Keeping in view their economic importance, the effect of five concentrations of sugar and honey solutions (1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 2:1,1.5:1) each as alternative to nectar were used to observe their effect on life history parameters of Bombus terrestris. The 1:1 ratio of sugar solution was found most effective followed by 1.5:1, 1:1.5, 1:2 and 2:1 and also more effective of all five concentrations of honey solutions on all three stages of colony development i.e., at colony initiation, colony development and colony maturation stages. At colony initiation stage, early pre-oviposition period ($6.40{\pm}0.97$ days), early emergence of first worker in the first batch ($25.40{\pm}1.21$ days) and maximum numbers of workers ($6.20{\pm}0.24$) emergence in the first batch were observed at 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. Colonies reared on 1:1 ratio of sugar solution reached earlier ($52.13{\pm}1.28$ days) at colony foundation stage with minimum mortality ($3.27{\pm}0.54$ workers). At colony maturation stage, maximum numbers of workers, sexual (males, queens) and maximum mother queen longevity was observed at the same 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. It can be suggested from present study that sugar solution as alternative of nectar at 1:1 ratio was better than other sugar concentration levels and also from those of honey solution.