Research PaperSingle and mixture impacts of two pyrethroids on damselfly predatory behavior and physiological biomarkers

- Damselfly larvae exposed to sub-lethal combination of pyrethroid insecticides.
- Exposure to deltamethrin reduces predatory ability.
- Combined exposure to deltamethrin and esfenvalerate inhibits the GST detoxification pathway.
- Observed effects can eventually result in lower emergence of adults from contaminated ponds.

Direct mortality due to toxicity of single pesticide exposure along a concentration gradient, while the most common, is only one important parameter for assessing the effects of pesticide contamination on aquatic ecosystems. Sub-lethal toxicity can induce changes in an organism's behavior and physiology that may have population-level ramifications and consequences for ecosystem health. Additionally, the simultaneous detection of multiple contaminants in monitored watersheds stresses the importance of gaining a greater understanding of the toxicities of combined exposures, particularly at low, environmentally relevant concentrations. Using larvae of the Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella), we conducted a combined exposure investigation of two widely-used pyrethroid insecticides presumed to share the same neurotoxic mechanism of action, and estimated their effect on predatory ability, mobility and three physiological biomarkers (Glutathione S-transferase; GST, respiratory electron transport system; ETS, and malondialdehyde; MDA). Deltamethrin exposure (0.065 μg/L and 0.13 μg/L) was found to reduce the predatory ability, but it did not affect the larvae's mobility. Esfenvalerate exposure (0.069 μg/L and 0.13 μg/L), on the other hand, induced no significant changes in predatory ability or mobility. The decrease in predatory ability after the combination exposure (0.067 μg/L deltamethrin and 0.12 μg/L esfenvalerate) did not significantly differ from the impact of the single deltamethrin exposures. Glutathione-S-transferase was induced after single esfenvalerate exposure and the lower deltamethrin concentration exposure, but seemingly inhibited after exposure to the higher concentration of deltamethrin as well as the combination of both pyrethroids. Our data indicate that sub-lethal exposure to deltamethrin reduces predatory ability and suggest that sub-lethal combined exposure to deltamethrin and esfenvalerate inhibits the GST detoxification pathway. These effects can eventually result in a lower emergence of adults from contaminated ponds.