Workshop: Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Exposure, Impacts and Management

Workshop Organizers

Lisa Webb, U.S. Geological Survey Missouri Coop Research Unit
Doreen Mengel, Missouri Department of Conservation

Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticide widely adopted for agricultural use throughout North America and Europe, in large part because they are selectively more toxic to insects than vertebrates. Neonicotinoids are highly water soluble and have reported half-lives of greater than 1000 days. The combination of these characteristics in concurrence with their widespread use suggests horizontal movement of neonicotinoids via runoff into surrounding terrestrial habitats, as well as various surface waters such as streams and wetlands. However, neonicotinoids continue to receive increased scrutiny due to their implication in pollinator declines and as potential aquatic toxicants. The continued growth of seed coatings has increased concern over neonicotinoid fate and effects across a range of scales

This workshop will explore aspects of neonicotinoid insecticides that include: 1) occurrence in the environment and organisms; 2) direct and indirect effects on non-target organisms; 3) trophic-level impacts; (4) and management practices that can reduce or mitigate the effects of neonicotinoids. The workshop will conclude with a synthesis on the potential for neonicotinoids to impact non-target taxa in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and facilitate a discussion on actions natural resource managers and agencies can take to reduce these effects.

Agenda