
Differential effects of clothianidin exposure on metabolic rates across life stages in the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Poster presented at the 2022 Penn State Graduate Student Research Exhibition.
Abstract: The restoration of milkweed to agricultural landscapes is thought to be essential for helping bolster declining monarch (Danaus plexippus) populations. However, the rise of neonicotinoid insecticidal seed treatments over the past three decades has severely increased the toxicity of these landscapes for insects. It is therefore crucial that we understand the effects of these compounds on monarch health and survival in order to create informed management decisions. In this study, we performed a laboratory experiment in which monarch larvae were restricted to feeding on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plants treated with either a soil application of a widely applied neonicotinoid insecticide, clothianidin, or a neonicotinoid-free control treatment. We then examined the energetic costs of clothianidin exposure by tracking the metabolic rates of the individuals across life stages using flow-through respirometry. Our results show that larval clothianidin exposure did not affect the resting metabolic rates of monarchs at any life stage; however, it did lower both the average and peak flight metabolic rates of adults. These findings suggest that larval exposure to clothianidin contaminated plants can have sublethal effects that carry over into adulthood and may adversely affect flight behavior and capacity. Further studies are needed to elucidate the implications of these findings on crucial aspects of monarch ecology, including their foraging, migratory, and reproductive potential.
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Work Title | Differential effects of clothianidin exposure on metabolic rates across life stages in the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) |
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License | CC BY 4.0 (Attribution) |
Work Type | Poster |
Publication Date | May 9, 2022 |
Deposited | May 09, 2022 |
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