Uncovering the Combined Toxicity of Abamectin and Lambda-cyhalothrin on Honey Bees
Uncovering the Combined Toxicity of Abamectin and Lambda-cyhalothrin on Honey Bees Highlights: Abamectin demonstrates higher toxicity to honey bees compared to lambda-cyhalothrin. The combined toxic effect of abamectin and lambda-cyhalothrin on honey bees is antagonistic. Exposure to mixed pesticides disrupts the balance of gut microbiota in Apis mellifera. Transcriptomic analysis reveals significant regulation of genes associated with metabolism and immunity. Pesticides disturb immunity and detoxification enzyme levels and gene expressions. Abstract: Research on the toxic effects of pesticides on bees has primarily focused on individual toxicity assessments, leaving a gap in understanding mixed toxicity. This study explores the individual and combined toxic effects of abamectin (ABA) and lambda-cyhalothrin (LCY) on honey bees (Apis mellifera). ABA exhibits greater acute toxicity to honey bees compared to LCY, and their mixture presents an acute antagonistic effect. Exposure to LCY a