Progress in research on the effects of imidacloprid on the behavior and physiology of honeybees
Author of the article:ZHANG Zu-Yun1, 2** LI Zhen1 ZENG Zhi-Jiang1***
Author's Workplace:1. Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; 2. Sericultural and Apicultural Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mengzi 661101, China
Key Words: imidacloprid, honeybees, behaviour, physiological effects, sublethal effects
Abstract:
The honeybee is a social insect and an essential pollinator that is vital for
agriculture, horticulture, and the maintenance of the ecological environment
and species diversity. Imidacloprid is a new
type of neonicotinoid insecticide with a widespread
insecticidal spectrum that is potentially harmful to pollinating insects such
as bees. This paper reviews recent
research on the toxic mechanism, exposure pathway, metabolic processes and
behavioral effects, of imidacloprin on honeybees. We reassess the
"safety threshold" of pesticides with respect to honeybees, thereby promoting
the safe and effective application of pesticides. This paper provides a useful
reference for evaluating the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees in
China.