Data to accompany from: Effects of neonicotinoid seed treatments on wildbee populations and soybean and corn fields in eastern Ontario

Neonicotinoid-coated corn and soybean seeds are a common crop in Canada and the US. A growing body of research is demonstrating that, through various exposure routes, neonicotinoids can impact a suite of non-target organisms including beneficial insects such as bees. However, to date, only a few studies have examined the effects of neonicotinoids in field settings. We assessed the relationship between agricultural crop soil neonicotinoid levels and wild bee abundance and diversity at 16 agricultural sites representing different soil neonicotinoid levels. We detected clothianidin at 11 sites, thiamethoxam at three sites; imidacloprid was not detected. Hedgerow and crop soils were consistent in terms of where clothianidin was detected; thiamethoxan was not detected in hedgerow soils. Based on model outcomes, fields with higher levels of soil neonicotinoids exhibited significantly lower wild bee abundance and diversity than those with low or no neonicotinoids detected. Crop soil neonicotin...