Development of Standardized Laboratory and Semi-Field Methods for Assessing the Risk of Pesticide Exposure to Megachile rotundata F. – Year Two

Non-Apis bees are now recognized as significant pollinators. For most crops visited by bees, pesticides are used for pest management, and there is concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides on wild and managed bees. Most toxicity studies involving bees have focused on honey bees (Apis mellifera), partially because honey bee data are required for pesticide registration. Yet because of physiological and behavioural differences, honey bees and non-Apis bees may not be equally susceptible to a given pesticide. As such, there is interest from regulatory agencies in incorporating non-Apis bees into pesticide risk assessments. However, methods for assessing the hazards of pesticides to non-Apis bees have not yet been established. We aim to generate data that will contribute to the development of standardized methods for assessing the risk of pesticides to alfalfa leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata), one of the most intensively managed non-Apis bees for agricultural pollination in Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Cynthia Scott-Dupree

Student:

Andrew Frewin

Partner:

Syngenta Canada

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph