Exposure to pesticides is a major threat to insect pollinators, potentially leading to negative effects that could compromise pollination services and biodiversity. The objectives of this study were to quantify neonicotinoid concentrations among different bee genera and to examine differences attributable to body size and surrounding land use. During the period of cotton planting (May–June), 282 wild bees were collected from habitat patches associated with cropland, grassland, and urban land cover and analyzed for three neonicotinoids (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid). Twenty bees among eight genera contained one or more of the neonicotinoid compounds and detections occurred in all landscape types, yet with the most detections occurring in cropland-associated habitats. Apis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Melissodes Latreille (Apidae), Perdita Smith (Andrenidae), and Lasioglossum Curtis (Halictidae) had multiple individuals with neonicotinoid detections. Two of the largest bees (Apis and Melissodes) had the greatest number of detections within genera, yet the relatively small-bodied genus Perdita had the three highest neonicotinoid concentrations reported. The number of detections within a genus and average generic body mass showed a marginally significant trend towards larger bees having a greater frequency of neonicotinoid detections. Overall, the relatively low percentage of detections across taxa suggests practices aimed at conserving grassland remnants in intensified agricultural regions could assist in mitigating exposure of wild bees to agrochemicals, while differences in bee traits and resource use could in part drive exposure. Further work is needed to address variable agrochemical exposures among pollinators, to support strategies for conservation and habitat restoration in affected landscapes.

Most ecosystems are increasingly being degraded and reduced by human activities at the local and global scales. In contrast, urban environments are expanding as increasing portions of humanity move into cities. Despite the common perception among biologists that urban areas are biological deserts, cities offer habitat for many non-human species, but their ecology and conservation remain poorly studied. In this review, we first provide an update on the current state of knowledge on urban wildlife, then briefly examine the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban wildlife and add four components not previously included in comprehensive reviews. (1) We show that by reducing human activity, COVID-19 has temporarily enhanced urban habitat quality for some species and diminished it for others. (2) Thoughtful horticulture can contribute to urban wildlife by providing complex habitat structures that benefit biodiversity while enhancing human wellbeing. (3) Recent literature on urban invertebrate biodiversity has grown, though is still focused on pollinators. (4) Finally, employing insights from the discipline of communication can enhance the success of urban biodiversity conservation among both biologists and the public.

Aspergillus flavus refers to a diverse group of saprophytic soil fungi that includes strains producing aflatoxins (toxigenic strains) in the kernels of corn (Zea mays L.) and other crops, causing pre-harvest and post-harvest aflatoxin contamination. Some A. flavus strains are atoxigenic, and the introduction of such strains into the crop environment helps reduce toxigenic aflatoxin contamination. Corn growers in Texas have used the product FourSure™, which contains four atoxigenic strains of A. flavus; however, effects on soil microbial communities associated with these applications are unknown. We compared soil fungal and bacterial communities in corn fields treated with FourSure™ to nearby untreated (control) corn fields in Texas during the summer of 2019. Analysis of soil microbial community structure showed that total fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), fungal, and bacterial populations were not significantly different (p = 0.31) between the FourSure™-treated and control fields, yet corn fields located in the northern counties had more (p < 0.05) Gram—bacteria, actinobacteria, and total bacteria than fields in the southernmost county. The Gram—bacteria and actinobacteria were positively correlated (p = 0.04; r = 0.48 and 0.49, respectively) with soil water content. Similar fungal and bacterial abundances between FourSure™-treated and control fields indicated that atoxigenic A. flavus had no negative effects on soil microbial communities.

A saprophytic soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, produces aflatoxin (toxigenic strains) in the kernels of corn (Zea mays L.) and seeds of many other crops. Many strains of A. flavus do not produce toxigenic aflatoxin, and soil application of these atoxigenic strains is a suppressive control tactic to assist in controlling toxigenic conspecifics. Effects of atoxigenic A. flavus applications on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and other bees are unknown, and basic information on bee occurrences in cornfields treated with and without this biological agent is needed to inform integrated pest management in corn. Fields receiving atoxigenic A. flavus applications of FourSure^TM were compared to nearby control fields in three counties in corn production regions in eastern Texas. In each cornfield, 20 bee bowl traps were deployed along four equal transects located between corn rows, with contents of the bowls (i.e., bees) retrieved after 24 h. Eleven bee genera from four families were collected from cornfields, with only two honey bees collected and zero honey bees observed in transects. The sweat bee genus Agapostemon (primarily composed of the Texas striped sweat bee A. texanus) was most abundant in cornfields (44% of the total number of bees collected), followed by long-horned bees (Melissodes spp., 24%). The southernmost county (i.e., San Patricio) produced over 80% of the total number of bees collected. Bee numbers occurring in cornfields with applications of atoxigenic A. flavus applications were not significantly different from those of nearby control fields. Although not statistically significant, total numbers of bees tended to be lower in FourSure-treated fields than in control fields. More extensive research on bee abundances in relation to the effect of atoxigenic A. flavus is warranted.