Acute and chronic toxicity of acetamiprid, carbaryl, cypermethrin and deltamethrin to Apis mellifera larvae reared in vitro.

Background: The effects of exposing Apis mellifera larvae to common insecticides were tested in the laboratory.

Results: The acute toxicity values of the four insecticides that we tested ranged from high toxicity to low toxicity: deltamethrin > cypermethrin > carbaryl > acetamiprid. The NOAEC (no observed adverse effect concentration) values of the chronic toxicity tests for each compound are 5 mg L for acetamiprid, 2 mg L for carbaryl, 1 mg L for cypermethrin, and 0.2 mg L for deltamethrin.

Conclusion: According to the risk quotient (RQ) values of acute and chronic toxicity that we obtained, the risk is acceptable at exposure rates that have been identified in the field. Overall, our results are valuable for evaluating the acute and chronic toxicities of these insecticides to developing honey bees. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.