Insecticidal Activity of Essential Oils of Five Aromatic Plants Against Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

The essential oils, with known effects on insects, could be an alternative method to classical insecticides. In the present study, the essential oils of Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze, Anethum graveolens L., Cuminum cyminum L., Foeniculum vulgare Gaetner and Satureja hortensis L. were isolated by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus and their insecticidal activities determined against Callosobruchus maculatus L. adults through fumigant bioassay. A culture of C. maculatus was established on the seeds of Vigna ungiculata at 27 ± 1°C and 65 ± 5 % relative humidity. Results indicated that the essential oils had high fumigant activity on the insect. Responses were different according to the plant materials and their concentrations. The LC50 values of essential oils from A. foeniculum, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, F. vulgare and S. hortensis against C. maculatus were 25.476, 12.750, 11.385, 24.944 and 68.728 μL/L air, respectively. On the other hand, the toxicity of oils followed in the order: C. cyminum > A. graveolens > F. vulgare > A. foeniculum > S. hortensis. The results demonstrated that the mortality rate of all essential oils increased with concentration increase. These results suggested that the essential oils extracted from A. foeniculum, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, F. vulgare and S. hortensis can be used in the management of C. maculatus in order to decrease the detrimental effects and risk of synthetic insecticides.