Data from: Insecticide exposure alters feeding and impairs ovary development in a solitary bee

Insecticide exposure is a growing concern due to its implication in
population declines and disruption of key ecosystem services such as
pollination. Bees and other beneficial insects can be exposed to
insecticides multiple times throughout their lives and across generations,
with impacts on behavior and reproduction. To investigate mechanisms
underlying reduced reproduction in bees exposed to insecticide over time,
I quantified the direct and carryover effects of insecticide exposure on
the feeding and ovary development of the solitary bee, Osmia lignaria.
Bees were exposed to the insecticide, imidacloprid, as larvae and/or as
adults in a fully crossed design over two years. Insecticide exposure to
bees as adults, but not as larvae, reduced pollen and nectar feeding and
impaired ovary maturation. These findings reveal mechanisms underlying
insecticide effects on bees, indicating that negative impacts on
reproduction may be attributed to reduced ovary development driven by the
anti-feeding effects of imidacloprid, even at low levels of exposure.