Plant Soil Environ., X:X | DOI: 10.17221/228/2026-PSE

Chronic laboratory exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of Mospilan 20 SP (acetamiprid): effects and molecular responses in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)Original Paper

Imrich Szabó ORCID...1, Rastislav Sabo ORCID...2, Martin Staroň ORCID...3, Štefan Tutka ORCID...3, Marek Ratvaj ORCID...4, Lucia Sabová ORCID...2, Monika Sučik ORCID...1
1 Department of Biology and Physiology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
3 National Agricultural and Food Centre (NPPC), Department of Animal Production, Division of Beekeeping, Liptovský Hrádok, Slovak Republic
4 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic

Bees were exposed for 10 days to a sucrose solution containing acetamiprid at concentrations of 48, 4.8, and 0.48 mg a.i./kg of solution, corresponding to the maximum recommended field application rate and its 1/10 and 1/100 dilutions. An increase in mortality was observed at the highest tested concentration, with a cumulative mortality of 30.4% by day 10, whereas lower concentrations showed effects comparable to the control. In addition, the expression of selected genes related to detoxification (glutathione S-transferase, thioredoxin reductase), oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase 1, superoxide dismutase 2), immunity (abaecin, hymenoptaecin, apidaecin), and neural regulation (acetylcholinesterase 1) was analysed. No significant changes were detected in most genes, except for sod2, which showed increased expression at the lowest concentration. Overall, the results suggest that acetamiprid exhibits relatively low chronic toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations but may induce significant effects at higher or continuous exposure levels. These findings highlight the importance of considering both lethal and sublethal endpoints, including molecular responses, in assessing pesticide risks to honeybees.

Keywords: agrochemical; bee colony; pollinator; plant protection; neonicotinoid

Received: May 11, 2026; Revised: July 6, 2026; Accepted: July 7, 2026; Prepublished online: July 16, 2026 

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