Consumption of field-realistic doses of a widely used mito-toxic fungicide reduces thorax mass but does not negatively impact flight capacities of the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Commercial beekeepers in many locations are experiencing increased annual colony losses of honey bees (Apis mellifera), but the causes, including role agrochemicals losses, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated effects chronic consumption pollen containing a widely-used fungicide (Pristine®), known to inhibit bee mitochondria vitro, which has recently been shown reduce worker lifespan when field-colonies provided with field-realistic levels Pristine®. We fed field colonies concentration Pristine® (2.3 ppm) and two orders magnitude higher (230 ppm). To challenge flight behavior elicit near-maximal metabolic rate, measured quality rates lower-than-normal air densities. Chronic 230 not 2.3 ppm reduced maximal performance rates, suggesting that observed decrease lifespans workers reared on doses Pristine®-laced is due inhibition muscle mitochondria. However, either or dose thorax mass (but body mass), providing first evidence morphological Pristine®, supporting hypothesis reduces forager longevity by negatively impacting digestive nutritional processes.