Sub-lethal effects of the insecticide, imidacloprid, on the responses of damselfly larvae to chemosensory cues indicating predation risk.

Autor: Wickramasingha PD; Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada., Morrissey CA; Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada., Phillips ID; Water Security Agency, 10 - 3904 Miller Ave., Saskatoon, SK, S7P 0B1, Canada., Crane AL; Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. Electronic address: adam.crane@usask.ca., Chivers DP; Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada., Ferrari MCO; Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Chemosphere [Chemosphere] 2024 May; Vol. 356, pp. 141926. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 06.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141926
Abstrakt: Insecticides, including the widely used neonicotinoids, can affect both pest and non-target species. In addition to lethal effects, these insecticides at sub-lethal levels may cause disruption to sensory perception and processing leading to behavioural impairments. In this laboratory experiment, we investigated the effects of a 10-day exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, on the behaviour of larvae of the damselfly, Lestes congener. In tests of baseline activity, imidacloprid concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/L caused significant reductions in foraging behaviour. Moreover, in response to chemical cues that indicate a potential risk to the larvae, imidacloprid caused the loss of an appropriate antipredator response (reduced foraging) depending on the concentration and duration of exposure. Imidacloprid at 0.1 μg/L caused the loss of responses toward the odour of a beetle (Dytiscus spp.) predator after 10 days of exposure, whereas 1.0 μg/L caused lost responses toward both the predator odour and injured conspecific cues (i.e., alarm cues) and after only 2 days of exposure. However, at 10.0 μg/L, larvae responded appropriately to both cues throughout the duration of the study, suggesting compensatory responses to imidacloprid at higher concentrations. Hence, the lack of appropriate responses at 1.0 μg/L likely resulted from a cognitive impairment rather than chemical alteration of these important chemosensory cues. In the natural environment, such effects will likely cause decreased survivorship in predator encounters. Hence, imidacloprid exposure, even at low concentrations, could have adverse consequences for chemosensory ecology of this damselfly species.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The work described herein is not under consideration for publication elsewhere and has not been published previously. This submission has been approved by all authors and will not be published elsewhere without consent from the copyright-holder.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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