The influence of different substrates on the reproduction traits of Folsomia candida (Collembola) in an insecticide test

Abstract

The standard OECD tests for Folsomia candida should be performed on the standard OECD soil. However, if it is necessary to measure more parameters than the juvenile number and mortality, the use of different substrates is necessary. But these substrates can modify the results of the experiments comparing to the standard OECD soil, resulting in different toxicity values. In our research, we tested the toxicity of an insecticide, Trebon® 10F to F. candida (Collembola). We tested the dose-dependent effect of Trebon® 10F on the egg number and the egg size on the substrates of (i) plaster of Paris mixed with activated charcoal and (ii) in standard OECD soil on two generation of collembolas.

Similarly to our previous study, the insecticide had a dose-dependent negative effect on the parent’s egg size in the OECD soil, but on plaster of Paris, no response was found. The egg number did not show any response to the treatments. On the contrary, in the offspring generation, the egg size increased both in OECD and plaster of Paris tests. In the soil test, parent collembolas laid significantly more eggs, while the offspring laid much fewer, compared to the plaster of Paris test. Similar results were found in the case of egg size. In the soil test parent collembolas laid larger, while the offspring laid smaller eggs, compared to the plaster of Paris test.

In multigenerational tests (i) Trebon 10F could affect the different generations in the opposite way. The experiment performed on the plaster of Paris (ii) could underestimate toxicity compared to the OECD soil test. This should be taken into account when Ecotoxicologists interpret their data.