The ground-nesting bee Anthophora plumipes as a model species for assessing effects of soil-mediated pesticide exposure

Though many wild bee species nest in the ground, little is known of their potential exposure to pesticide residues in soil, or the effects of such exposure. Here, we introduce Anthophora plumipes as a potential model ground-nesting solitary bee species for controlled exposure to pesticides through soil. Bees from a naturally occurring population were allowed to nest in loam blocks containing varying concentrations of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. Measured residues of imidacloprid in brood provisions and in bee bodies remained at < 0.01% of the concentration in surrounding soil, suggesting limited migration of contaminants from soil to brood. Furthermore, imidacloprid contamination had no marked effect on the number, survival, body size or rate of parasitism of offspring at the tested concentrations (≤ 10 mg/kg). This species native to Eurasia and North Africa may be a suitable model for further research on the ecotoxicology of ground-nesting solitary bee species.