Bioensaio de toxicidade do herbicida glifosato (n-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) para abelha nativa sem ferrão Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata (Lepeletier 1836) (Meliponinae, Apidae)

Abstract

Due to the extensive planting area, Brazil has become the world's largest consumer of pesticides, with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and acaricides being the most used in agriculture. The objective of this study was to verify the Lethal Dose (LD50) of the herbicide Glyphosate in worker bees of Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata and its effect on locomotion activity. Worker bees were captured with a wooden cage placed at the exit of a meliponary's nest box. In the DL50 test, 27.93 μg / bee was used by oral ingestion of the herbicide Glyphosate diluted in 50% sucrose solution. Another solution without the herbicide was used to test the control group. In this test, there was no mortality after the 24hour period in both groups. Greater agitation was observed in the bees in the contaminated group compared to the control group. The locomotion activity test showed no significant differences between the two groups, although it was confirmed that the bees that ingested the herbicide were more stimulated by light and moved faster on the track. Thus, it is concluded that the herbicide evaluated in this research was considered toxic in the concentration used.