engleski

Pyrethroid insecticides in oilseed rape – are they responsible for morphological variations of Oedothorax apicatus Blackwall, 1850 (Araneae: Linyphiidae)?

Agrochemicals can have significant influence on the biodiversity of predators in terrestrial agroecosystems. Pesticides in general can have lethal or sublethal effects on spiders and influence their activity, locomotion, web building – and reproduction behaviours as well as abundance. The effect of pesticides on spider morphologial variations has been poorly investigated. In this study, we explored the influence of pyrethroid insecticides (Fastac®, Talstar®, Trebon®) on morphological variations in body length, carapace and abdomen length, carapace and abdomen width, and carapace shape in Oedothorax apicatus (Blackwall, 1850) collected from conventional, integrated and organically-produced oilseed rape crops. Multiple applications of various pyrethroid insecticides on the conventional field significantly influenced morphological variability in female specimens. These females had longer bodies with longer and wider carapace and abdomen in comparison to females from fields under organic and integrated management. Wider posterior part of the carapace and less protruded frontal part was detected in female spiders from fields under integrated and conventional management. These results can be explained by faster growth as a consequence of pyrethroid hormetic effects on female individuals. In male spiders significant morphological differences between individuals collected from the different experimental fields were not observed, probably due to their higher mobility.

agriculture, pyrethroids, oilseed rape, spiders, Oedothorax apicatus, morphology

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