Icon Legend

This session is not in your schedule.

This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

Oral Presentation

Poster Display

Student Competition

Ticketed Event

55 Views

10-Minute Presentation

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

10-min: PBT, Honey Bee and Social Insects Toxicology and Physiology

A glyphosate-based herbicide compromises male fertility in common eastern bumble bees, Bombus impatiens

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

2:00 PM - 2:12 PM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, F151, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

Andrew Brown

Postdoc Research Scientist
University of Bern (Switzerland)
Liebefeld, Bern, Switzerland

Co-Author(s)

VS

Verena Strobl, n/a

University of Bern
Bern, Bern, Switzerland
AR

Andrée Rousseau, n/a

Quebec center for Biodiversity Science
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
PN

Peter Neumann, n/a

University of Bern
Bern, Bern, Switzerland
PG

Pierre Giovenazzo, n/a

Laval University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Lars Straub, PhD

Lecturer, Group leader
Institute of Bee Health / University of Bern
Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Environmental pollution can cause male infertility in many species, including humans, and may therefore contribute to declines in wild insect populations. While lethal effects of agrochemicals are commonly addressed in environmental risk assessments (ERAs), the possible impact on male fertility is often poorly understood. Here, we show that a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH; Roundup Weathermax®) significantly reduces spermatozoa viability in bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, males, despite no effects on longevity. Following OECD protocols, males were chronically exposed for 10 days to a field-realistic concentration of GBH in the laboratory. Both survival and spermatozoa viability were measured. Herbicide-exposed males exhibited prolonged survival, yet also suffered a time-dependent decline in spermatozoa viability. After 10 days, GBH-exposed males showed ≈34% reduction in viable spermatozoa compared to controls. These findings suggest a trade-off between survival and reproductive function, potentially driven by costs associated with detoxification. Nonetheless, distinguishing whether these effects stem from the active ingredient or formulation adjuvants remains a key challenge for mechanistic and regulatory interpretation. Given that impaired male fertility may be a key pathway contributing to insect declines, these data underscore the need to incorporate sublethal, fitness-related endpoints into ERAs