A standardised guideline to determine the acute toxicity of pesticides for solitary bees (in this case mason bees, Osmia spp.) is of significant importance for evaluating the side effects of pesticides and other chemicals on pollinating insects, a requirement in various regulatory frameworks across the OECD. This protocol is designed to evaluate effects of a test chemical via contact exposure.
First commenting round on the draft new Test Guideline describing the Mason bees (Osmia sp.), Acute Contact Toxicity Test
- Submission period
- 4 Dec 2024 - 29 Jan 2025
Background public consultation
Project description
The “Non-Apis” working group of the International Commission for Pollinator-Plant Relationship (ICP-PR) has developed a testing protocol that follows the principle of existing OECD guidelines (i.e., OECD 213, 214, 246 and 247) and organised several preliminary as well as larger scale international ring tests to validate the proposed acute contact test with mason bees in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Based on the results of the international ring testing, the protocol to determine the acute contact toxicity of pesticides on mason bees was finalised. The protocol was subsequently reviewed by a dedicated Expert Group prior to starting the review by the Working Party of National Coordinators of the Test Guidelines Programme.
How to contribute
The draft new Test Guideline is currently under a commenting round by the Working Party of the National Coordinators of the Test Guidelines Programmes and open for comments from the public at the same time. Interested parties are invited to contact their National Coordinators at least a week before 29 January 2025.
