ACTIVITY OF CASTOR OIL SEEDS Ricinus communis ETHANOL EXTRACT AGAINST COTTON LEAFWORM Spodoptera littoralis (BOISD.)

Abstract

The present work aimed to study the effect of ethanol extract of Ricinus commnuis L. seeds on biological and physiological aspects for the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis, 2nd and 4th instar larvae. The results cleared that the larval duration was 17.08 and 15.58 days & 10.11 and 9.36 days for treated and the untreated 2nd & 4th instar larvae respectively. The pupation percentage was 60.0 and 96.0 % for treated and untreated 2nd instar larvae and 61.0 and 93.0 for treated and untreated 4th instar larvae. The pupal weight was affected by the botanical extract. The pupal duration was 11.40 and 11.71 days for treated and untreated 2nd instar larvae and it was 11.96 and 12.51 days for treated and untreated 4th instar larvae. The emergence percentages resulted from treated 2nd and 4th instar larvae were 82.0 and 85.2 % compared with 97.0 % and 92.0 % for that resulted from the untreated larvae, respectively. On the other hand, the malformed adult was 28.0 and 2.0 % for 2nd instar larvae (treated and untreated) and 16.0 and 5.0 % for 4th instar larvae (treated and untreated) respectively. There are decreasing in fecundity of S. littoralis adults resulted from the treated 2nd and 4th instar larvae by the botanical extract used for this study. Effect of LC50 value of the tested plant extract on the biochemical aspects of the 4th larval instar of S. littoralis was detected. The biochemical aspects AST, ALT, alkaline and acid phosphatase activities, the as well as the total protein content post treatment of the 4th instar larvae were considered throughout the present study.