Effects of the neonicotinoid Acetamiprid on the microbiome of the primitive eusocial bee Lasioglossum malachurum

The goal of this study was to test the influence of the neonicotinoid Acetamiprid on cuticular lipid composition, ovary development and microbiome of a ground-nesting sweat bee. Lasioglossum malachurum were collected in the field and transferred alive to the laboratory setup within the same day.Worker bees were divided into two test groups (Acetamiprid and control) with ten microcolonies each containing three individuals. After seven days cuticular lipids were analyzed and bees dissected to investigate ovary development and gut microbiome composition. 16S Metabarcoding was performed on an Illumina MiSeq platform following a dual-indexing approach.