최근 소나무재선충의 매개충을 방제하기 위한 방제법으로 널리 이용되고 있는 항공방제의 환경 영향에 대한 논의가 계속되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 2017년 경남 양산 금정산 일대를 무처리구와 처리구(3회 살포 및 5회 살포)로 구분한 뒤, 유인항공기로 살포된 티아클로프리드가 비표적 절지동물인 무당거미의 생물적 형질(체중, 체장, 머리가슴의 폭 및 뒷다리 전체 길이)에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 2017년 10월 11일에 각 조사구에서 성숙한 무당거미 암컷 성충을 채집하였다. 조사 결과, 무당거미의 생물적 형질은 살충제 살포 여부에 따라 통계적으로 유의하게 달라졌는데, 특히 체장, 머리가슴의 폭, 그리고 뒷다리의 전체 길이는 항공방제구에서 채집된 무당거미가 무처리구에서 잡힌 개체에 비해 짧은 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 살충제 살포 횟수에 따른 차이는 관찰되지 않았다. 결론적으로 무당거미의 형태적 특성은 살충제 살포에 의해 직접적 또는 간접적 으로 영향을 받았을 가능성이 있으며, 이는 장기적으로 개체군의 건강성에 영향을 줄 것이라 생각된다. 따라서 향후 장기적으로 살충제(직접 효과)와 먹이 가용성(간접 효과)에 대한 무당거미의 반응에 대한 모니터링이 수행되어야 할 것이다.

Pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), the pathogen of pine wilt disease (PWD), is transmitted to new host trees through Monochamus spp., vector insects. In Korea, aerial application has been allowed conventionally to eliminate the vectors in their flying season. In this study, thiacloprid was applied to four-year-old Pinus densiflora, which were fed to adult M. alternatus emerged from PWD infected logs for 72 h in the condition of 1 DAT (Days after treatment of thiacloprid) and 15 DAT, respectively. We confirmed the presence of nematodes in each beetle applied to experiment by Baermann funnel method and PCR with species-specific ITS primers. After 72 h of 1 DAT and 15 DAT, thiacloprid residues in pine trees were 0.59-16.32 and 0.043-0.131 mg/kg and the mortalities of the beetle were 100 and 99.2%, respectively. Detection rate of B. xylophilus was 51.3%. The incidence rate of PWD in 1 DAT and 15 DAT showed no mortality and 5.55% compared with 55.5% of control, respectively.

Non-target predatory insects can be indirectly exposed to aerial pesticide spraying and fogging to control Monochmus beetles that transmit pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. We evaluated potential lethal or sublethal effects of thiacloprid on survival and behavior of a carpenter ant species, Camponotus japonicus Mayr. Field-collected ant colonies were directly exposed to several food items, such as thiacloprid-addicted Monochmus beetles, 10% sugar watered cotton balls contaminated by thiacloprid concentrations, and 10% sugar water. Dead beetle bodies caused no apparent adverse effect through dietary exposure in general, although a few ants were died with paralysis at colony level experiment. At individual level, most ant workers were died within 10 days compared to control group. In contrast, dietary exposure of ants to thiacloprid concentrations showed significant lethal effect with paralysis and impaired walking, especially at 10 and 50 mg/L thiacloprid concentrations. Some intoxicated ants recovered within a few days in 10 and 50 mg/L thiacloprid concentrations, but intoxicated ants were generally shown to be less responsible to enemy ants with low aggressive behavior. Implications for predicting hazards of thiacloprid to beneficial arthropods in pine forests are discussed.

In this study, we confirmed that the pesticides flow out into streams during rainfall by the way of helicopter spraying. The maximum concentration was 23 pg·mL-1 and the distribution of concentrations showed similar to the normal distribution. The runoff characteristics of insecticides using helicopter spraying was affected by the elapsed time of the start from spraying until rainy days and rainfall intensity. The pesticide concentrations of sample ranged from 0.65 to 3.04 pg·mL-1. Fish kill did not occurred in the stream and the lake cause of the pesticides runoff. Aquatic animals, such as Orthrias toni, Rhinogobius brunneus, tadpole etc. were still alive in the stream. It indicates that this class of pesticide does not cause toxic to fish by runoff event. However, the honey bee kill event was reported in the spray region during the helicopter spraying period. The further study such as ecotoxicity test is needed to reveal the pesticides effect reach to the ecosystem.