Neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid induces chemosensory deficits in a nontarget parasitoid wasp

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-01, Vol.907, p.168089-168089, Article 168089
• Main Authors: Shi, Wenqi, Zhang, Qichao, Sheng, Yifeng, Dong, Zhi, Feng, Ting, Zhang, Junwei, Yu, Longtao, Xu, Zixuan, Pang, Lan, Chen, Jiani, Chen, Xuexin, Huang, Jianhua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemoreception genes; Comparative transcriptome; Courtship behaviour; Host-searching behaviour; Imidacloprid; Parasitoid wasps
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168089

Chemical pesticides are widely used to manage the population of arthropod pests. Their increasing use in agriculture has raised concerns about their harmful effects on nontarget organisms, particularly some beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasps. To assess the potential risk and ecological safety of chemical pesticides, it is necessary to understand their impacts on the physiology and behaviour of those important natural enemies of arthropod pests. Here, we applied the Drosophila parasitoid Leptopilina drosophilae as a study model to investigate the effects of sublethal doses of imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide. Our results demonstrated the detrimental effects of imidacloprid on the host-searching behaviour of L. drosophilae females and the courtship behaviour of L. drosophilae males. Comparative transcriptome and functional analysis provided further insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the impaired behaviours, with the downregulated expression of certain chemoreception genes in both female and male exposed wasps. Our findings thus emphasize the importance of understanding the risks associated with the use of chemical pesticides and the need to develop more eco-friendly pest management strategies for a sustainable balance between chemical and biological control. [Display omitted] •Parasitoids are important biocontrol agents in agricultural ecosystem.•Imidacloprid showed harmful effects on the nontarget parasitoid wasps.•Imidacloprid impaired the host-searching behaviour of parasitoid females.•Imidacloprid impaired the mating behaviour of parasitoid males.•The deficits were due to the down-regulated expression of chemoreception genes.