Low doses of ivermectin cause sensory and locomotor disorders in dung beetles

Scientific Reports
José R VerdúFrancisco Sánchez-Piñero

Abstract

Ivermectin is a veterinary pharmaceutical generally used to control the ecto- and endoparasites of livestock, but its use has resulted in adverse effects on coprophilous insects, causing population decline and biodiversity loss. There is currently no information regarding the direct effects of ivermectin on dung beetle physiology and behaviour. Here, based on electroantennography and spontaneous muscle force tests, we show sub-lethal disorders caused by ivermectin in sensory and locomotor systems of Scarabaeus cicatricosus, a key dung beetle species in Mediterranean ecosystems. Our findings show that ivermectin decreases the olfactory and locomotor capacity of dung beetles, preventing them from performing basic biological activities. These effects are observed at concentrations lower than those usually measured in the dung of treated livestock. Taking into account that ivermectin acts on both glutamate-gated and GABA-gated chloride ion channels of nerve and muscle cells, we predict that ivermectin's effects at the physiological level could influence many members of the dung pat community. The results indicate that the decline of dung beetle populations could be related to the harmful effects of chemical contamination in the dung.

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Citations

May 27, 2016·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Tobin J HammerTomas Roslin
May 22, 2016·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Daniel González-TokmanJean-Pierre Lumaret
Dec 24, 2015·PloS One·Renata Calixto Campos, Malva Isabel Medina Hernández
Mar 23, 2017·Chemosphere·Daniel González-TokmanJean-Pierre Lumaret
Sep 25, 2019·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Sebastián Villada-BedoyaDaniel González-Tokman
Jun 5, 2020·Scientific Reports·José R VerdúFrancisco Sánchez-Piñero
Oct 21, 2020·Journal of Economic Entomology·Daniel González-TokmanImelda Martínez-M
Jan 28, 2021·Parasitology Research·M JuncoC A Saumell
Jun 20, 2021·Chemosphere·Daniel González-TokmanWolf U Blanckenhorn

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