Dataset for: Assessment of sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on the life-history traits of two frog species

Neonicotinoid insecticides are used extensively in agriculture and as a consequence, are now detectable in nearby aquatic environments. Few studies have evaluated the effects of neonicotinoids on amphibians in these aquatic environments. In this present study, we examined the effects of two commercial formulations of neonicotinoids (active ingredients clothianidin and thiamethoxam) on survival and life-history traits of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens). We used artificial pond mesocosms to assess the effects of these neonicotinoids, at nominal concentrations of 2.5 µg/L and 250 µg/L, on amphibian larval development through metamorphosis. We found no differences between controls and neonicotinoid exposure for any of the endpoints assessed for either wood frogs or leopard frogs. Our study suggests that concentrations meeting or exceeding observed levels of clothianidin and thiamethoxam in surface waters will not directly affect metamorphosis in two amphibians.

新烟碱类杀虫剂（neonicotinoid insecticides）在农业生产中被广泛施用，因此在周边水生环境中已可检出其残留。目前鲜有研究评估此类水生环境中新烟碱类杀虫剂对两栖动物的影响。本研究针对两种商品化新烟碱类药剂（有效成分为噻虫胺（clothianidin）与噻虫嗪（thiamethoxam）），探究其对林蛙（Lithobates sylvaticus）以及北方豹蛙（Lithobates pipiens）的存活情况与生活史特征的影响。本研究采用人工池塘中宇宙实验系统，以标称浓度2.5 μg/L与250 μg/L的上述药剂，评估新烟碱类杀虫剂对两栖动物幼虫发育至变态阶段的影响。研究结果显示，针对林蛙与北方豹蛙的所有观测终点，对照组与新烟碱类药剂暴露组均未出现显著差异。本研究表明，地表水中噻虫胺与噻虫嗪的浓度达到或超出实测水平时，不会直接对这两种两栖动物的变态发育产生影响。