Preference and avoidance responses by tadpoles: the fungicide pyrimethanil as a habitat disturber

Tadpoles of two amphibian species, the neotropical anuran Leptodactylus latrans and the North American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus, were used in experiments to assess their preferred spatial distribution along habitat gradients and, thus, to what extent contamination by the fungicide pyrimethanil could trigger active spatial avoidance. The tadpoles were tested in a non-confined multi-compartment static system with a pyrimethanil contamination gradient through which organisms could move freely. Two samples, with and without (reference) pyrimethanil contamination, taken from outdoor mesocosms, were assayed. Tadpoles showed to be able to detect and move to the most favorable environment by preferring compartments containing reference mesocosm water. Pyrimethanil concentrations from 0.2 to 1.4 mg L-1 were below lethal levels, but acted as habitat disturber since spatial avoidance was triggered. Avoiders of L. latrans reached almost 50 % at 1.4 mg L-1. The present data reinforces the hypothesis regarding the risk of plant protection products to act, not only as toxicants, but also as habitat disturber, potentially leading to avoidance-driven population decline of amphibians.