An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine using monoclonal antibodies (MAb). Three MAbs, designated as E6A6, E6F3 and H7F7, were raised from mice immunized with an imidacloprid hapten–ovalbumin conjugate. These MAbs performed similarly in indirect competition ELISA (icEL...

Populations of honey bees and other pollinators have declined worldwide in recent years. A variety of stressors have been implicated as potential causes, including agricultural pesticides. Neonicotinoid insecticides, which are widely used and highly toxic to honey bees, have been found in previous analyses of honey bee pollen and comb material. However, the routes of exposure have remained larg...

Maintaining bee-friendly habitats in cities and suburbs can help conserve the vital pollination services of declining bee populations. Despite label precautions not to apply them to blooming plants, neonicotinoids and other residual systemic insecticides may be applied for preventive control of lawn insect pests when spring-flowering weeds are present. Dietary exposure to neonicotinoids adverse...

BACKGROUND In recent years, outbreaks of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), have occurred more frequently in China. The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility of N. lugens to neonicotinoids and other insecticides in major rice production areas in China. RESULTS Results indicated that substantial variations in the susceptibility to different insecticides exi...

The ubiquitous use of agrochemicals is one driver for the ongoing loss insect biomass and diversity. Data show that field-realistic concentrations neonicotinoid insecticides can negatively affect both population density fitness solitary bees. However, underlying mechanisms these effects remain poorly understood. Here, using an established semi-field experimental set-up Osmia cornuta as a bee mo...

Insect pollinators provide many essential ecosystem services including pollination, and others. However, pollinating insects are currently facing potential threats on an unprecedented scale with species decline. Honeybee Apis mellifera comprise nearly 68% of those affected insect pollinators. Irrational Insecticides application, special reference to neonicotinoides group is one the main causes ...

Soil-dwelling insects are severe pests in many agroecosystems. These pests have cryptic life cycles, making sampling difficult and damage hard to anticipate. The management of soil insects is therefore often based on preventative insecticides applied at planting or cultural practices. Wireworms, the subterranean larvae of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), have re-emerged as problematic pe...

Neonicotinoids are a widely used class of insecticides that are commonly applied as seed coatings for agricultural crops. Such neonicotinoid use may pose a risk to non-target insects, including pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests, and ecosystems. This study assessed neonicotinoid residues in groundwater, surface runoff water, soil, and native plants adjacent to corn and soybean crop f...

The toxicities of established and new members of the neonicotinoid insecticide class were assessed against the glassy-winged sharpshooter in topical application bioassays. All compounds were highly toxic to the insect. Clothianidin elicited its toxic response more rapidly than thiamethoxam and was 3-fold more toxic overall at the LD50 level. Clothianidin has been proposed as an active derivativ...

Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used to protect plants against pest insects, and insecticide residues remaining in the environment affect both target and non-target organisms. Whereas low doses of neonicotinoids have been shown to disturb the behaviour of pollinating insects, recent studies have revealed that a low dose of the neonicotinoid clothianidin can improve behavioural and neurona...