PubMed · 2026-03-20
Researchers tested two common agricultural pesticides—a pyrethroid insecticide and an acaricide—on a native stingless bee species, measuring survival, behavior, and stress responses. The resulting dataset gives scientists and regulators hard numbers to evaluate how these chemicals threaten wild pollinators beyond the honeybee.
Both λ-cyhalothrin (insecticide) and fenpyroximate (acaricide) showed measurable toxicity to the stingless bee Nannotrigona testaceicornis, affecting survival rates.
Behavioral disruption was quantified using a Bee Behavioural Stress Index (BSI), providing a novel metric beyond simple mortality for assessing pesticide harm.
Ingestion rates were tracked alongside weight changes, offering dose-response data usable for ecological risk quotient calculations under real-world exposure conditions.