Screening of twenty five plant extracts for larvicidal activity against Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine the larvicidal activity of twenty five plant extracts against Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus). MethodsThe larvicidal activity was determined against the third instar larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus at 1 000 ppm concentration. Larval mortality was assessed after 24 and 48 h. ResultsThe hexane extracts of Cleistanthus collinus (C. collinus) and Murraya koeingii (M. koeingii) plants showed 100 percent mortality at 24 h bioassay followed by diethyl ether, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of C. collinus, Leucas aspera (L. aspera), Hydrocotyle javanica (H. javanica), M. koeingii, Sphaeranthus indicus (S. indicus) and Zanthoxylum limonella (Z. limonella) after 48 h exposure. ConclusionsThe results indicate larvicidal activity against Cx. quinquefasciatus and further investigations are needed to elucidate this activity against a wide range of all stages of mosquito species and also the active ingredients of the extract responsible for larvicidal activity should be identified.