Weight of evidence assessment from field studies on effects of the insecticide sulfoxaflor on hymenopteran pollinators: sulfoxaflor environmental science review part V

Field studies involve combinations of exposure, natural dynamics, and effects in natural and agricultural environments. To be more realistic, field studies focussed on pollinating insects must consider the details of biology, life history, behavior, and pollination ecology of the test species. While expensive and time-consuming, these tests provide the most realistic information, especially for social insects, but are valuable for solitary bee species as well. They are more realistic than laboratory studies because they determine the combined effects of natural stressors including weather, food availability, parasites, and pathogens with anthropogenic stressors, such as the pesticide treatment itself, within agroecosystem landscapes. Twenty-four field studies conducted with bees to support the registration of sulfoxaflor and published work are included, and a standardized rating system for the quality and relevance of the studies was used. The studies included Apis mellifera L. Bombus terrestris L. and Osmia bicornis L. The results show that, when SFX products are applied at the highest labeled application rate with bees actively foraging or fed in syrup at equivalent rates, the effects are minor and temporary. Sublethal effects included lethargy, disorientation, and reduced body mass at emergence. No new modes of action and no treatment-related effects on brood rearing were found.