Translocation of clothianidin to guttation fluid and its potential impact on honey bee, Apis mellifera anatoliaca Maa, 1953 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)1

Abstract

Honey bees, Apis mellifera anatoliaca Maa, 1953 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) forage water from guttation fluid so transported neonicotinoid insecticides in guttation fluid poses a risk to the bees. The first aim of this study was to determine the toxicity and risk of clothianidin to honey bees. In addition, the changes of clothianidin residue in the guttation fluid of maize plants in Turkey were determined in 2018 and 2019. Also, the toxicity of guttation fluid collected from the maize plants to bees was determined in ecotoxicological tests. The acute oral LD50 of clothianidin to honey bees in the first 24 h was 1.80 ng bee-1 and residue analysis demonstrated that honey bees were exposed to clothianidin concentration in guttation fluid ranging from 0.02 to 6.0 mg L-1 with mortality ranging between 80 and 100%. As the measured concentration of clothianidin in guttation fluid can lead to the mortality of honey bees, present study indicates that clothianidin, and possibly related pesticides in treated maize seed poses a risk to honey bees. Future studies are needed to determine the scale and distribution of this risk in Turkey.