Abstract
The residual effect of malathion on insect pollinators i.e., honey bees, butterflies, syrphid flies and
bumble bees, was observed in field and in semi-field experiments. For the study the recommended field dose of
malathion (0.002gm/ml) was sprayed on a patch of marigold (Calendula officinalis). Number of pollinators that
visited the study patches before insecticide application (control) and after application (insecticide treatment) was
recorded. The data was recorded till 10th day after the insecticide spray. Total number of insect pollinators was
significantly higher before insecticide spray. There was drastic decline in the number of pollinators, especially of
honey bees, after the insecticide treatment. However, it is concluded that malathion is highly toxic to insect
pollinators and use of malathion should be minimized to protect the population of insect pollinators which provide
important services to the pollination of agricultural crops
ZAFAR IQBAL KHAN, HAFIZ MUHAMMAD TAHIR, SALMA BEGUM, KAFEEL AHMED, SAIRA BATOOL, RABIA YAQOOB, IJAZ RASOOL NOORKA. (2016) Toxic Effect of Malathion on Insect Pollinators Visiting Marigold Flowers, Biologia – Journal of Biological Society of Pakistan, Volume 62 (I), Issue 1.
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