Toxicology Commons^™

Toxicology Of Chemical Stress To Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus L.), Annie Krueger

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) population declines have caught the attention of the country and prompted nationwide conservation initiatives. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified insecticide exposure and loss of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) reproductive habitat as primary threats to the monarch. In the Midwestern US, milkweed largely occurs around cropland borders where there may be a spatial and temporal overlap of monarch larvae, insecticide usage, and fertilizer applications. In this study, the acute toxicity and sub-lethal effects on growth and diet consumption of two commonly used pyrethroid insecticides, bifenthrin and beta-cyfluthrin, were characterized …

Toxic And Repellent Effects Of Pyrethroids Used In Orchards On The Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Managed honey bee colonies provide valuable pollination services and are rented by fruit orchards to improve fruit quality and yield. The placement of colonies in this agricultural setting increases the possibility of exposure to pyrethroids used for broad-spectrum pest control in orchards. Although highly toxic to bees, pyrethroids are believed to pose a relatively low hazard due to their low application rates in the field as well as their contact repellent properties. Previous studies have noted a decrease in foraging visits following pyrethroid application possibly preventing bees from acquiring a lethal dose in the field.

This research quantified behaviors associated …