Peter Stahlschmidt

Bats at risk? Bat activity and insecticide residue analysis of food items in an apple orchard

Although bats are reported as being threatened by pesticides, they are currently not considered in European Union pesticide risk assessments. The reason for that contradiction is probably related to the scarcity of information on bat activity in pesticide-treated fields and the pesticide residues on their food items. The authors recorded bat activity and measured pesticide residues on bat-specific food items following applications of two insecticides in an apple orchard. High activity levels of the common pipistrelle bat, a foraging habitat generalist, were detected. Airborne foragers and bats that take part of their food by gleaning arthropods from the vegetation were recorded frequently. The initial value and the decline of pesticide residues were found to depend on the arthropod type, their surface to volume ratio, their mobility, and the mode of action of the applied pesticide. The highest initial residue values were measured on foliage-dwelling arthropods. By following the toxicity-exposure ratio approaches of the current pesticide risk assessment, no acute dietary risk was found for all recorded bat species. However, a potential reproductive risk for bat species that include foliage-dwelling arthropods in their diet was indicated. The results emphasize the importance of adequately evaluating the risks of pesticides to bats, which, compared to other mammals, are potentially more sensitive due to their ecological traits.

The South American radiation of Jerrybuccinum (Gastropoda, Buccinidae), with a new deep-water species from Chile.

Abstract A new deep water species from off the Chilean coast, Jerrybuccinum kantori sp. n., is described. The animal is equipped with a large statocyst. Kryptos explorator Fraussen & Sellanes, 2008 from off Concepción is found to be congeneric and transferred to the genus Jerrybuccinum. Differences in size and sculpture serve to distinguish the new species from J. explorator. Both Chilean species are associated with methane seep or low oxygen environments. They are compared with J. malvinense Kantor & Pastorino, 2009 and two still unnamed species from the Falkland Plateau.

Assessing the Risk of Herbicides to Terrestrial Non-Target Plants Using Higher-Tier Studies

ABSTRACT Risk assessment for non-target plants is based on single species phytotoxicity tests. This approach may not reflect relevant ecological processes in terrestrial ecosystems. The current risk assessment scheme is based on endpoints measured at the species level and the assessment of ecological effects relies on the extrapolation from one species to another or from a single species to a community. This extrapolation contains many uncertainties that may be reduced by adopting more realistic testing approaches. However, currently higher-tier plant studies are not obligatory in herbicide risk assessment. We reviewed the published literature and found that potential higher-tier approaches for terrestrial non-target plants are extremely limited. Sixteen studies were found that assessed the effects of herbicides on non-target plants by performing microcosms, mesocosms, or field studies. These studies showed that microcosms might provide useful data and help to reduce uncertainties associated with single-species tests. However, due to the limited number of available studies, much work is required to develop appropriate testing methods for regulatory processes. In addition, field experiments are necessary to establish baseline knowledge concerning the effects of herbicides on natural plant communities and to compare data generated in tiered testing approaches with data obtained from natural systems.

Interspecific sensitivity of bees towards dimethoate and implications for environmental risk assessment

Wild and domesticated bee species are exposed to a variety of pesticides which may drive pollinator decline. Due to wild bee sensitivity data shortage, it is unclear if the honey bee Apis mellifera is a suitable surrogate species in the current EU risk assessment scheme. Furthermore, the underlying causes for sensitivity differences in bees are not established. We assessed the acute toxicity (median lethal dose, LD50) of dimethoate towards multiple bee species, generated a species sensitivity distribution and derived a hazardous dose (HD5). Furthermore, we performed a regression analysis with body weight and dimethoate toxicity. HD5 lower 95% confidence limit was equal to honey bee mean LD50 when applying a safety factor of 10. Body weight proved to be a predictor of interspecific bee sensitivity but did not explain the pattern completely. Using acute toxicity values from honey bees and a safety factor of 10 seems to cover the interspecific sensitivity range of bees in the case of dimethoate. Acute endpoints of proposed additional test species, the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris and the red mason bee Osmia bicornis, do not improve the risk assessment for the entire group. However, this might not apply to other insecticides such as neonicotinoids.

Too familiar to be questioned? Revisiting the Crassispira cerithina species complex (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Pseudomelatomidae)

Crassispira cerithina (Anton, 1838) is a common shallow water conoidean gastropod species, broadly distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific. It has a distinctive shell morphology and has been referred to in many publications. It is also the first species of its family to have been studied from the viewpoint of toxinology. However, our molecular phylogenetic analysis based on fragments of the COI and 28 S rRNA genes reveals the existence of two closely related distinct species, one of which is described as new (C. scala n. sp.). These two species are sympatric in several regions of the Indo-Pacific—in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. They can be reliably distinguished by shell morphology and thus cannot be considered truly cryptic species. The radula is very similar in both species and does not permit species delimitation. A conchological reappraisal of further material similar to C. cerithina allows us to recognize two additional species, which are described as new (C. procera n. sp. from the Coral Sea and Philippines, and C. aurea n. sp. from Tahiti). These results demonstrate that even ‘well-known’ and seemingly well defined species may be species complexes and that molecular techniques should be routinely applied to confirm specimen identification, especially as part of resource-consuming studies, such as toxinology.

Nocturnal Risks-High Bat Activity in the Agricultural Landscape Indicates Potential Pesticide Exposure

Although agriculture dominates much of Europe’s landscape, there is virtually no information on foraging activity of bats in different crops. Additionally little is known about pesticide exposure of bats and related effects and there are currently no specific regulatory requirements to include bats in European Union pesticide risk assessments for the registration of these chemicals although other mammals are considered. To evaluate the potential pesticide exposure of bats, we studied bat diversity and activity as well as the availability of aerial prey insects in different crops and semi-natural habitats in south-western Germany in a landscape dominated by agriculture. In 300 accumulated sampling nights more than 24,000 bat call sequences were acoustically recorded and, in parallel, almost 110,000 insects of suitable prey sizes were sampled by light traps. A total of 14 bat species were recorded, among them the locally rare and for Germany critically endangered northern bat (Eptesicus nilssonii) and the barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellum), all of them also occurring over agricultural fields. In comparison to agricultural habitats, higher activity levels in forest sites were only found for Myotis species but not for species of the genera Pipistrellus, Eptesicus and Nyctalus. There were no significant differences in the availability of aerial nocturnal insects between forest, meadow and agricultural habitats. Comparing the different agricultural crops, significantly fewer bat call sequences and lower numbers of nocturnal insects were collected above the vineyards compared to orchards, cereal and vegetable fields. Highest activity levels of all bat species were recorded above agricultural fields situated next to forests. Given the high bat activity levels recorded at several agricultural sites, among them orchard and vegetable fields both known for their high pesticide inputs, and the availability of suitable prey insects, we conclude that pesticide exposure via ingestion of contaminated insect prey is possible. This potential risk is currently not considered in the European pesticide risk assessment scheme.

Revision of the genus Thetidos Hedley, 1899 (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Raphitomidae) in the Indo-Pacific with descriptions of three new species

The genus Thetidos was established to accommodate a single species Thetidos morsura, a minute turriform conoidean with an unremarkable paucispiral protoconch, but possessing characteristic globose whorls of the teleoconch and three strong denticles on the inside of outer apertural lip. Subsequently, Thetidos was considered synonymous with Lienardia, and has rarely been mentioned in literature until the recent discovery of a remarkably similar species Thetidos tridentata, though it is different in protoconch morphology. Both molecular data and protoconch morphology unequivocally suggested placement of the new species in Raphitomidae. Examination of shells from the Indo-Pacific identified a number of similar forms, all referable to the genus Thetidos. Six species are now recognized within the genus; of them three, Thetidos puillandrei n. sp., Thetidos minutissima n. sp., Thetidos pallida n. sp., are here described as new. Thetidos species are now known from subtidal depths from the Philippines and Sulawesi to French Polynesia. Thetidos morsura is the only species of the genus that possesses a paucispiral protoconch suggestive of a non-planktotrophic development, although it displays a wide geographic range and a high morphological variability. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F2001CC-6BEA-4B26-AFB8-6B337E101FDB

Two new turrid species (Gastropoda: Pseudomelatomidae) from the Palawan region, the Philippines.

Species richness of tropical marine molluscs is considerably underestimated (Bouchet et al. 2002). Indeed, the molluscan faunas of some regions, such as Palawan in the western Pacific, have received little attention and some hyper-diverse groups, such as the turrids (a parapyhletic group of Conoidea, formerly known as Turridae), are barely documented. For example, apart from original descriptions of two turrid taxa that have their type locations in Palawan (Comitas aequatorialis palawanica Powell, 1969 and Mangilia quadrasi Boettger, 1895 = Gingicithara notabilis (E. A. Smith, 1888)), there are no published records of turrids from this region. We have been fortunate to have access to recent collections of turrids from different parts of Palawan. Examination of these materials has revealed existence of several undescribed and potentially endemic species. In the present paper two new Pseudomelatomidae species are described.

16th SETAC GLB (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry German LanguageBranch) Annual meeting held under the main theme “EcoTOXICOlogy andEnvironmental CHEMISTRY: crossing borders” from 18th to 20th September2011 at Landau

This report provides a brief review of the 16th annual meeting ofthe German Language Branch of the Society of Environmental Toxicology andChemistry (SETAC GLB) held from September 18th to 20th 2011 at theUniversity Koblenz-Landau at Campus Landau. The event was organized byCarsten Brühl and Ralf B. Schäfer and many members and students ofthe Institute for Environmental Sciences under the main theme“EcoTOXICOlogy and Environmental CHEMISTRY: Crossing borders”.Almost 300 participants enjoyed the scientific program that included 54 oraland 70 poster presentations under seven session themes. In addition, fourinvited keynote speakers and a plenary discussion on biodiversity withrepresentatives from government, academia and industry provided newinsights. The best oral and poster presentations of the meeting were awardedtogether with the annual young scientist award of SETAC GLB for the bestdiploma and doctoral thesis. The proceedings of the meeting (mostly inGerman) including the program and all abstracts is freely available asSupplemental Material.ZusammenfassungDieser Bericht gibt einen kurzen Rückblick auf die 16. Jahrestagung derDeutschsprachigen Abteilung der Society of Environmental Toxicology andChemistry (SETAC GLB) vom 18. bis 20. September 2011 an der UniversitätKoblenz-Landau am Campus Landau.Die Tagung wurde hauptverantwortlich durch Carsten Brühl und Ralf B.Schäfer mit Unterstützung von zahlreichen Mitarbeitern undStudierenden des Instituts für Umweltwissenschaften unter demHauptthema “: Grenzen überwinden Ökotoxikologie undUmweltchemie” organisiert.Fast 300 Teilnehmer genossen das wissenschaftliche Programms das 54Vorträge und 70 Posterbeiträge in sieben Sessions beinhaltete.Darüber hinaus lieferten vier eingeladenen Hauptredner und einePodiumsdiskussion zur Biodiversität mit Vertretern aus Behörden,Wissenschaft und Industrie neue Erkenntnisse. Die besten Vorträge undPosterbeiträge der Tagung wurden zusammen mit dem jährlichen YoungScientist Award der SETAC GLB für die beste Diplom-und Doktorarbeitausgezeichnet. Das Tagungsprogramm mit den Kurzzusammenfassungen ist alsergänzendes Material frei verfügbar.