Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees.

Taking into consideration that bees can be contaminated by pesticides through the ingestion of contaminated floral resources, we can utilize genetic techniques to assess effects that are scarcely observed in behavioral studies. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of ingesting lethal and sublethal doses of the insecticide fipronil in foraging honey bees during two periods of acute exposure. Bees were exposed to fipronil through contaminated honey syrup at two dosages (LD = 0.

Intake of imidacloprid in lethal and sublethal doses alters gene expression in Apis mellifera bees.

Bees are important pollinators for ecosystems and agriculture; however, populations have suffered a decline that may be associated with several factors, including habitat loss, climate change, increased vulnerability to diseases and parasites and use of pesticides. The extensive use of neonicotinoids, including imidacloprid, as agricultural pesticides, leads to their persistence in the environment and accumulation in bees, pollen, nectar, and honey, thereby inducing deleterious effects. Forager honey bees face significant exposure to pesticide residues while searching for resources outside the hive, particularly systemic pesticides like imidacloprid.

Occurrence of the Yellow-Spotted Stink Bug Erthesina fullo (Thunberg) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Brazil, a Polyphagous Species from Asia.

In recent years, the management of invasive stink bugs (Pentatomidae) has been a challenge in many regions of the world, including the Neotropical, where four non-native species were detected in the last two decades. Species with invasive potential include the yellow-spotted stink bug, Erthesina fullo (Thunberg). It is polyphagous and is known to cause damages to fruit crops in Southeast Asia.