Social insects in pesticide monitoring: Global progress and pathways toward a multi-taxon framework with perspectives for Africa
Publication Type
Journal Article
Journal Name
Current opinion in insect science
Publication Date
7-19-2026
Abstract
Social insects, including ants, termites, social bees, and social wasps, are among the most ecologically dominant organisms in terrestrial ecosystems and provide critical ecosystem services such as pollination, nutrient cycling, decomposition, soil formation, and predation. Here, we review their uses in pesticide monitoring and risk assessment over the past decade, evaluating the operational feasibility of multi-taxon monitoring with particular emphasis on Africa within a global context. Our analysis of 503 peer-reviewed studies reveals a strong taxonomic bias toward bees, which dominate the literature (94% of studies), whereas ants, social wasps, and termites remain largely underrepresented. Within the bee taxa, honey bees alone account for approximately 81% of the studies. Moreover, most of these studies were conducted within agroecosystems, with limited representation of other ecosystems. Regionally, Africa contributes only 11% of the global studies, whereas Europe, followed by the Americas, contributes the largest share of studies. We discuss the continued value of honey bees in pesticide monitoring while highlighting the key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed before other social insect taxa can be operationally integrated into multi-taxon monitoring frameworks in Africa and beyond.
Disciplines
Entomology | Environmental Sciences
PubMed ID
42472566
Recommended Citation
Nganso, B. T., & Subramanian, S. (2026). Social insects in pesticide monitoring: Global progress and pathways toward a multi-taxon framework with perspectives for Africa. Current opinion in insect science, 78, 101579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2026.101579