Wang Feng

Dr. Wang Feng


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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8 June 2025 in Insects
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
XZXufeng Zhang
Xufeng Zhang
QCQian Cao
Qian Cao
WFWang Feng
Wang Feng
YDYinyin Du
Yinyin Du
WZWen Zhao
Wen Zhao
OROlav Rueppell
Olav Rueppell
Honey bees and other pollinators are key to functioning natural and managed ecosystems. However, their health is threatened by many factors, including pesticides. Spraying fungicides during flowering of fruit trees is widespread even though it directly exposes pollinators to these fungicides. Here, we report a series of experiments designed to understand how the combination of propiconazole and carbendazim, marketed in China as Chunmanchun®, affects honey bee health. With an acute oral toxicity of 23.8 μg a.i./bee over 24 h in the laboratory, we considered the acute mortality risk from normal Chunmanchun® applications as relatively low. However, our comprehensive studies revealed other diverse effects: Chunmanchun® reduced memory after classic conditioning by approximately 25% and altered the activity of protective enzymes and the composition of the honey bees’ gut microbiota. Specifically, the genus Lactobacillus was decreased by ~13%, and Bartonella and Snodgrassella were increased by ~10% and ~7.5%, respectively. The gut metabolome was also disrupted in diverse ways, possibly as a functional consequence of the microbiome changes. Thus, we demonstrated numerous sublethal effects of the combination of propiconazole and carbendazim, which adds to the growing evidence that agrochemicals and fungicides in particular can harm pollinator health in subtle ways that are not captured in simple mortality assays.