IFIBYNE   05513
INSTITUTO DE FISIOLOGIA, BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR Y NEUROCIENCIAS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Effects of sub-lethal doses of glyphosate on the navigation of Apis mellifera
Autor/es:
MARÍA SOL BALBUENA; RANDOLF MENZEL; WALTER M FARINA
Reunión:
Congreso; XII International Congress of Neuroethology; 2016
Resumen:
Glyphosate (GLY) is a broad spectrum herbicide used for weed control. Although there are findings that show a negative impact of GLY on snails, crustaceans and amphibians, few studies have investigated its sub-lethal effects in non-target organisms such as the honeybee Apis mellifera, the main pollen vector in commercial crops. To evaluate whether sub-lethal concentrations of GLY (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/L) affects the homeward flight path of honeybees, we performed a catch-and-release experiment in which bees flying to the hive were displaced during foraging trips once or twice. Their homeward trajectories were tracked using harmonic radar technology. We found that honeybees fed with solution containing 10 mg/L GLY spent more time performing homeward flights than control bees (0 mg/L GLY) or bees treated with lower concentrations. They also performed more indirect homing flights. Moreover, the proportion of direct homeward flights performed after a second release from the same site increased in control bees but not in treated bees. These results suggest that, in honeybees, exposure to levels of GLY commonly found in agricultural settings impairs the cognitive capacities needed to retrieve and integrate spatial information for a successful return to the hive. Therefore, honeybee navigation is affected by ingesting traces of the most widely used herbicide worldwide, with potential long-term negative consequences for colony foraging success.