Abstract
The use of chemical insecticides has had several side-effects, such as environmental contamination, foodborne residues, and human health threats. The utilization of plant-derived essential oils as efficient bio-rational agents has been acknowledged in pest management strategies. In the present study, the fumigant toxicity of essential oil isolated from Satureja intermedia was assessed against cosmopolitan stored-product insect pests: Trogoderma granarium Everts (khapra beetle), Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) (lesser grain borer), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (red flour beetle), and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (saw-toothed grain beetle). The essential oil had significant fumigant toxicity against tested insects, which positively depended on essential oil concentrations and the exposure times. Comparative contact toxicity of S. intermedia essential oil was measured against Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe (oleander aphid) and its predator Coccinella septempunctata L. (seven-spot ladybird). Adult females of A. nerii were more susceptible to the contact toxicity than the C. septempunctata adults. The dominant compounds in the essential oil of S. intermedia were thymol (48.1%), carvacrol (11.8%), p-cymene (8.1%), and γ-terpinene (8.1%). The high fumigant toxicity against four major stored-product insect pests, the significant aphidicidal effect on A. nerii, and relative safety to the general predator C. septempunctata make terpene-rich S. intermedia essential oil a potential candidate for use as a plant-based alternative to the detrimental synthetic insecticides.
Highlights
The Khapra Beetle {Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)}, lesser grain borer{Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)}, red flour beetle {Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)}, and saw-toothed grain beetle {Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.)(Coleoptera: Silvanidae)} are among the most well-known and economically-important stored-product pests with world-wide distribution
The utilization of chemical insecticides is the main strategy in the management of insect pests
The fumigant toxicity of some plant-derived essential oils against O. surinamensis, R. dominica, T. castaneum and T. granarium has been documented in previous studies; it was found that the essential oils of Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze, Achillea filipendulina
Summary
The Khapra Beetle {Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)}, lesser grain borer. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)} are among the most well-known and economically-important stored-product pests with world-wide distribution. Along with direct damage due to feeding on various stored products, the quality of products is strictly diminished because of their residues and mechanically associated microbes [1,2,3,4,5]. Oleander aphid {Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe (Hemiptera: Aphididae)}, as a cosmopolitan obligate parthenogenetic aphid, is a common insect pest of many ornamental plants comprising several species of Asclepiadaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, and Euphorbiaceae, especially in greenhouse conditions. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)} is a natural enemy of various soft-bodied pests like aphids, thrips, and spider mites, and is considered an important biocontrol agent for greenhouse crops [9,10,11]. The seven-spot ladybird beetle {Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)} is a natural enemy of various soft-bodied pests like aphids, thrips, and spider mites, and is considered an important biocontrol agent for greenhouse crops [9,10,11].
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