Potential of Essential Oils from Anise, Dill and Fennel Seeds for the Gypsy Moth Control.

Tatjana Marković,Darka Šešlija Jovanović,Jelica Lazarević,Igor Kostić,Slobodan Milanović,Miroslav Kostić

doi:10.3390/plants10102194

Tatjana Marković, Darka Šešlija Jovanović + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102194

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Abstract

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)) is a serious pest of hardwood forests. In the search for an environmentally safe means of its control, we assessed the impact of different concentrations of essential oils (EOs) from the seeds of three Apiaceae plants (anise Pimpinella anisum, dill Anethum graveolens, and fennel Foeniculum vulgare) on behavior, mortality, molting and nutritional physiology of gypsy moth larvae (GML). EOs efficacy was compared with commercial insecticide NeemAzal®-T/S (neem). The main compounds in the Eos were trans-anethole in anise; carvone, limonene, and α-phellandrene in dill; and trans-anethole and fenchone in fennel seed. At 1% EOs concentration, anise and fennel were better antifeedants and all three EOs were more toxic than neem. Neem was superior in delaying 2nd to 3rd larval molting. In the 4th instar, 0.5%, anise and fennel EOs decreased relative consumption rate more than neem, whereas all three EOs were more effective in reducing growth rate, approximate digestibility and efficiency of conversion of food into body mass leading to higher metabolic costs to GML. Decrease in consumption and metabolic parameters compared to control GML confirmed that adverse effects of the EOs stem from both pre- and post-ingestive mechanisms. The results indicate the potential of three EOs to be used for gypsy moth control.

Highlights

Gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is a polyphagous insect that feeds on over 500 plant species within 73 families, but the most suitable hosts are oaks (Quercus spp.) [1,2]
This study was aimed to evaluate efficacy of essential oils obtained from seeds of three Apiaceae plant species against gypsy moth larvae (GML) by assessing their insecticidal and antifeeding activity as well as influence on larval molting, growth and food utilization
We demonstrated that essential oils (EOs) from three Apiaceae species had significant biological activity affecting various GML traits

Summary

Introduction

Gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is a polyphagous insect that feeds on over 500 plant species within 73 families, but the most suitable hosts are oaks (Quercus spp.) [1,2]. The use of conventional insecticides, often in an inappropriate manner, bears the risk of evolution of insect resistance and may lead to severe environmental disturbances due to pollution and adverse effects on non-target organisms [10,11,12,13,14,15]. Having this in mind, it is not surprising that many insecticides have been removed from the market. Plant-based products have been considered as potential control agents [24,25]

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