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.
1
Both λ-cyhalothrin (insecticide) and fenpyroximate (acaricide) showed measurable toxicity to the stingless bee Nannotrigona testaceicornis, affecting survival rates.
2
Behavioral disruption was quantified using a Bee Behavioural Stress Index (BSI), providing a novel metric beyond simple mortality for assessing pesticide harm.
3
Ingestion rates were tracked alongside weight changes, offering dose-response data usable for ecological risk quotient calculations under real-world exposure conditions.
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