Apidologie 36 (2005) 379-387
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2005025

Evaluation of a standard artificial flower design to feed individual bees known amounts of pesticides

Edith Ladurner^a, Jordi Bosch^{b, c}, William P. Kemp^d and Stefano Maini<sup>a

a</sup>  Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroambientali - Area Entomologia, Università di Bologna, Viale Fanin 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy
^b  Biology Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5310, USA
^c  Unitat d'Ecologia/CREAF, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
^d  USDA - ARS, Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory, Logan, UT 84322-5310, USA

(Received 24 May 2004 - revised 9 November 2004 - accepted 12 November 2004; Published online: 7 July 2005)

Abstract - We investigated the possibility of feeding individual bees known amounts of pesticides on a standard artificial flower with or without scent. We tested experienced and naive (without foraging experience) Osmia lignaria and Megachile rotundata females, and experienced Apis mellifera foragers, and trained (exposed to the artificial flower for 24 h) and untrained individuals of the three species. We also fed untrained individuals of all three species with feeding units made with natural flowers (Ladurner et al., Apidologie 34 (2003) 597-602). Feeding success on artificial flowers was lower (0-50%) for O. lignaria and M. rotundata, than A. mellifera (70-97%). Training improved feeding success in O. lignaria and A. mellifera, but not M. rotundata. Experience improved feeding success in O. lignaria, but not M. rotundata. Scent had no effect on feeding success for any of the three species. Feeding success with the natural flower method was high for the three species (87-90%).

Key words: oral toxicity test / artificial flower / Osmia lignaria / Apis mellifera / Megachile rotundata

Corresponding author: Edith Ladurner ladurner@entom.agrsci.unibo.it

© INRA, DIB-AGIB, EDP Sciences 2005