Meeting Abstract
Cypermethrin is a pesticide designed to disrupt the nervous system of invertebrates, though vertebrates may also be affected. We exposed Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septintrionalis) and American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) tadpoles to cypermethrin at two different concentrations and recorded neurophysiological and behavioral metrics among groups. We also measured plasma corticosterone levels in the bullfrog tadpoles at two time points. Tadpoles exposed to cypermethrin were found to be smaller, less developed, and hyperactive compared to a control group, despite showing no signs of altered acetylcholinesterase levels. The behavioral differences combined with elevated corticosterone levels in the bullfrog tadpoles exposed to cypermethrin demonstrate that cypermethrin is a stressor for these animals even though it may not have direct impacts on the nervous system.
