Seminar: Common Herbicide Impairs Fertility but Not Survival in Bumblebees, Bombus impatiens
Date:
Location:
WSL Birmensdorf, Hörsaal or LG E5 (TBC)
Organised by:
Biodiversity Center, WSL
Speakers:
Andrew Brown, University of Bern
Moderators:
Benno Augustinus, WSL
Languages:
English
Type of event:
Presentations and colloquia
Audience:
Anyone interested in the topics
Abstract ¶
Insect declines have raised concerns over widespread agrochemical usage. Current environmental risk assessments (ERAs) focus on lethal effects, often neglecting fitness-relevant parameters. Here, we experimentally exposed male bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) to a field-realistic concentration of a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) under controlled laboratory conditions to assess potential effects on survival, consumption behavior, and reproductive physiology (i.e., spermatozoa traits). Our results demonstrate that chronic exposure of male bumblebees to GBH significantly enhanced their survival yet reduced living spermatozoa (~ 34%). This highlights a physiological shift, where resources appear prioritized toward survival mechanisms over reproductive investment. Such findings underscore critical false negative results in current ERAs and advocate for incorporating fitness endpoints to better understand and mitigate ongoing insect declines.
Link to paper: rdcu.be/eXMbA
About the speaker ¶
Dr. Andrew Brown, University of Bern
I am a postdoctoral researcher with the Wild Bee Health group at the Institute of Bee Health.
I completed my PhD on honeybee health, where I focused my efforts on investigating the role of micronutrients and microbiota on Apis mellifera health. My thesis work revealed that habitual exposure to high levels of B-vitamins can indeed reduce the lifespan of winter bees, and probiotics offer potential as a useful additive to honeybee supplemental feeding. Following my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Adria LeBoeuf (University of Cambridge, UK), where I studied metabolic division of labor using ants as a model system to better understand cooperative physiology in eusocial species.
Currently, my research focuses on how agrochemicals and environmental stressors influence bee health across seasons and species, ranging from honeybees to bumblebees and solitary wild bees. My current work focuses specifically on male-fitness traits (i.e. fertility), microbiota, and ecotoxicology to better understand and support sustainable pollinator health.
In addition to my research, I also contribute to teaching at the Institute of Bee Health, assisting with courses on insect anatomy, pathology, environmental stressors, and statistical study design for bee researchers.
Biodiversity Seminars ¶
The WSL Biodiversity Seminar Series are organized by the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center. Every two weeks, we aim to host a seminar speaker who presents research or outreach on topics relevant to the biodiversity community at WSL. The seminars are public and are usually broadcast online.
To find out more about the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center and a complete list of events, please visit our website.
Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to be updated on the activities of the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center.
Contact ¶
How to get here ¶
Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf
By public transport ¶
Bus stop Birmensdorf ZH, Sternen/WSL
Accessible by bus lines 220 and 350 via Wiedikon/Triemli or via Birmensdorf station with S-Bahn lines 5 and 14.
By car ¶
See map on map.search.ch or Google Maps
You'll find guest parking spaces (for a fee) behind the main building after passing the main entrance.