The Link of Neonicotinoid Insecticides to Global Honey Bee Losses Due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

摘要

The concern of persistent loss of honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies worldwide since 2006,a phenomenon referred to as colony collapse disorder (CCD),has led us to investigate the role of imidacloprid,one of the neonicotinoid insecticides,in the emergence ofCCD.CCD is commonly characterized by the sudden disappearance of honeybees (specifically worker bees) from hives containing adequate food and various stages of brood in abandoned colonies that are not occupied by honeybees from other colonies.This in situ study was designed to replicate CCD based on a plausible mechanistic hypothesis in which the occurrence of CCD since 2006 was resulted from the presence of imidacloprid,one of the neonicotinoid insecticides,in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS),fed to honeybees as an alternative to sucrose-based food.We used a replicated split-plot design consisting of 4 independent apiary sites.