Percentage Of Larval Mortality Research Articles

Goatweed Flower Extract (Ageratum conyzoides L.) as A Botanical Insecticide for Pest Control Crocidolomia binotalis Z.

Crocidolomia binotalis Z. is an important cabbage plant pest in Indonesia. Nevertheless, pest control strategies depend on synthetic pesticides, negatively impacting ecosystems.Therefore, developing an effective organic pesticide approach to controlling C. binotalis is necessary. This research aimed to test the effectiveness of goatweed flower extract (Ageratum conyzoides L.) in controlling pest C. binotalis. The research consisted of two sets of experiments with two methods: the stomach and contact poison. Each experimental set was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The treatments were six levels of extract concentration at 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, and 75%. The results showed that the application of A. conyzoides flower extract using the stomach and contact poison methods significantly increased the percentage of larval mortality 24 hours after application (haa) and the percentage of total larval mortality. The flower extract treatment of A. conyzoides significantly reduced the percentage of leaf area eaten, increased larval mortality, inhibited pupation and imago emergency, and shortened the larval stage's duration. The percentage of larval mortality through contact poison was higher than stomach poison.

Chemical Composition of Anabasis articulata, and Biological Activity of Greenly Synthesized Zinc Oxide Composite Nanoparticles (Zn-NPs): Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Larvicidal Activities

The synthesis of nanoparticles utilizing green techniques is becoming increasingly important due to its low cost, biocompatibility, high productivity, and eco-friendliness. Herein, the current work focused on the biosynthesis, characterization, and biological applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) from Anabasis articulata, including antioxidant anticancer and larvicidal properties, as well as modifications to the phytochemical ingredients. Hence, the tannin, phenolic, and flavonoid concentrations of the produced nanoparticle samples were lower than those of the original aqueous extract. When compared to the results of ascorbic acid (12.78 mg/mL), the produced extract of A. articulata and its zinc nanoparticles showed remarkable efficacy as antioxidant agents with IC50 values of 27.48 and 69.53 mg/mL, respectively. A normal lung fibroblast cell line (WI-38) and three tumor cells were used to test the compounds’ anticancer properties. With an IC50 of 21.19 µg/mL, the ZnO-NPs of A. articulata showed the greatest cytotoxicity against HePG-2 cell lines. Additionally, A. articulata zinc nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and PC3 tumor cell lines, with IC50 values of 30.91 and 49.32 µg/mL. The biogenic ZnO-NPs had LC50 and LC90 values of 13.64 and 26.23 mg/L, respectively, and are very effective against Aedes aegypti larval instar (III). Additionally, the percentages of larval mortality increased from 28.61% at 5 ppm to 84.69% at 25 ppm after 24 h post-treatment. The overall results of this study point to the potential of A. articulata as a substitute biological agent for potential therapeutic/leutic uses in the medical domains and for preventing the proliferation of malarial vector insects.

First Report of <i>Metarhizium Rileyi</i> Infecting Fall Army Worm <i>Spodoptera Frugiperda</i> (J E Smith) From Nepal

The fall army worm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) is an invasive polyphagous pest that prefers maize crop in the newly invaded regions like Africa, Asia, Australasia, and some Pacific Islands and was recorded in Nepal in the year 2019. Surveys were conducted in the maize fields to collect various natural enemies for utilization in the management of FAW. Several larvae infected with an unidentified fungus were collected and subjected to morphological and molecular analysis for identification as Metarhizium rileyi. In bioassay studies we observed percent larval mortality at 1x108 conidia/ml suspension. This is the first report of M. rileyi infecting S. frugiperda from Nepal.

Phytochemicals, antioxidant ability and in vitro anthelmintic activity of crude extracts from Vitexnegundo leaves against Haemonchus contortus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic effect of crude aqueous, methanol, ethanol, hydro alcohol and acetone extracts of Vitex negundo leaves against Haemonchus contortus eggs and larvae. Phytochemical analysis to identify the number of compounds in extracts was done by chemical tests and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrophotometer detector (GC-MS). First off all the effectiveness of dried plant materials was evaluated on larval development by mixing powdered material (no nano particles) to faecal cultures from donor sheep. Adding powder to the faecal culture resulted into 100% inhibition in larval development at 200 and 300mg/g of faeces. The anthelmintic activity was assessed using the egg hatch assay (EHA) and the larval mortality assay (LMA). Comparison of mean inhibition percentage of egg embryonation, mean inhibition percentage of egg hatching and mean percentage of larval mortality at different concentrations with control was performed by one-way ANOVA. The means were compared for statistical significance using DMRT at P < 0.05. For both the assays, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and lethal concentration (LC50) were calculated by probit analysis. Chemical test revealed presence of high concentration of saponin and flavoinoids and moderate concentration of total phenols in leaves. The antioxidant activity (radical scavenging activity, RSA %) measured was 35.47%. On GC-MS, the methanolic leaves extract revealed 30 phyto-compounds. On EHA, there was marked effect on inhibition of egg hatching by aqueous, hydro alcohol and acetone extracts. On LMA all the five extracts showed excellent larvicidal activity. V. negundo leaves methanol extract mediated silver nanoparticles were found very effective at much lower concentrations as compared to crude methanol extract. The results indicated that the V. negundo leaves crude extracts possessed excellent in vitro ovicidal and larvicidal properties against H. contortus which needs more investigation, especially in vivo trials for the control of parasite.

Effectiveness of Biopesticides Nicotiana tabacum L and Ageratum conyzoides L As Controlling Spodoptera exigua in Red Onion (Allium ascalonicum L.)

Shallots (Allium ascalonicum) are a commodity in Indonesia that has high economic value. One of the pests that often attacks and reduces shallot yields is the onion caterpillar pest S. exigua. Tobacco plants and babadotan weeds are types of plants that can be used as botanical pesticides as a method of controlling and preventing pest attacks on plants. Tobacco and babadotan plants contain secondary metabolite compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and tannins which are able to kill insect pests on shallot plants. The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness of tobacco extract (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and Babadotan (Ageratum conyzoides L.) as control of the onion caterpillar pest Spodoptera exigua on shallots. The highest combined mortality rate was treated with T6 at 96JSP with an average of 75%,The lowest larval mortality percentage test was found in T2 with an average mortality result of 22.50%.The results of biosafety testing show that the combination of tobacco extract and babadotan extract cannot be used together. From the conclusions that have been obtained, the extracts of (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and (Ageratum conyzoides L.), both single extracts and combination extracts, are effective in controlling the pest S.exigua

Laboratory Bioassays to Study the Efficacy of Diamides against Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenee) of Brinjal

This study was undertaken with the objectives to investigate the toxicity of insecticides against larval stage of L. orbonalis in the laboratory. Management stratagies of the pest requires frequent spraying of chemical insecticides. Due to continuous spraying of insecticides L. orbonalis had developed a resistance to different insecticides that are urgently needed to test new molecules. In this bioassay, seven insecticides such as Cyantraniliprole 10OD, chlorantraniliprole 18.5SC, flubendiamide 480SC thiodicarb 75WP, methomyl 40SP, cartap hydrochloride and profenophos 50EC belonging to different insecticides groups were tested against L. orbonalis in the laboratory. In this bioassay larval mortality showed increasing trend with maximum percent mortality observed at 72HAT. All the treatments were found significantly superior over UTC. Among the seven insecticides tested against L. orbonalis, three diamides were found to be significantly superior. Cyantraniliprole 10OD recorded significantly highest percent larval mortality (97.26%), followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5SC (94.14%) flubendiamide 480SC (88.45%), thiodicarb 75WP (77.53%), methomyl 40SP (71.50%), cartap hydrochloride 50SP (68.04%) and profenophos 50EC (65.88%). It is suggested that diamides may be used for the control of L. orbonalis.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) from isolated actinomycetes strains and their impact on the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon

Nanomaterials have been produced with the use of bio-nanotechnology, which is a low-cost approach. Currently, research is being conducted to determine whether actinomycetes isolated from Egyptian soil can biosynthesize Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and characterized by using the following techniques: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The most promising actinomycetes isolate were identified, morphologically, biochemically, and molecularly. Streptomyces avermitilis Azhar A.4 was found to be able to reduce silver metal nanoparticles from silver nitrate in nine isolates collected from Egyptian soil. Toxicity of biosynthesized against 2nd and 4th larval instar of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufn.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was estimated. In addition, activity of certain vital antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes as well as midgut histology of treated larvae were also investigated. The results showed appositive correlations between larval mortality percentage (y) and bio-AgNPs concentrations (x) with excellent (R2). The 4th larval instar was more susceptible than 2nd larval instar with LC50 (with 95% confirmed limits) =8.61 (2.76–13.89) and 26.44(13.25–35.58) ppml−1, respectively of 5 days from treatment. The initial stages of biosynthesized AgNps exposure showed significant increases in carboxylesterase (CarE) and peroxidases (PODs) activity followed by significant suppression after 5 days pos-exposure. While protease activity was significantly decreased by increasing time post-exposure. Midgut histology showed abnormality and progressive damage by increasing time post exposure leading to complete destruction of midgut cells after 5 days from exposure. These results make biosynthesized AgNPs an appropriate alternative to chemical insecticide in A. ipsilon management.

Toxicity of &lt;i&gt;Sargassum wightii&lt;/i&gt; to the Malaria Vector &lt;i&gt;Anopheles stephensi&lt;/i&gt; Liston (Diptera: Culicidae)

Seaweed based pesticides exhibit mosquitocidal properties and are found to be effective, biodegradable and non-toxic to non-target organisms. Sargassum wightii Greville butanol and ethanol extracts were tested for its toxicity against the second and third instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi Liston in the present study. One hundred percent larval mortality was observed in the second instar of An. stephensi by the ethanol extract at the highest concentration of 500 mg/ l after 24 hours of exposure. The LC50 values of S. wightii butanol and ethanol extracts were 107.03 and 89.67 mg/ l, against the second instar of An. stephensi; and 132.56 and 92.00 mg/ l against the third instar of An. stephensi respectively. Phytochemical analysis of S. wightii extracts revealed presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenols, proteins, tannins and terpenes. Larval mortality of second and third instars of An. stephensi can be attributed to the major compounds present in S. wightii revealed by GC-MS analysis, viz., ethyl salicylate, methyl salicylate, ethyl palmitate, palmitic acid, oleic acid, phytolin and diethyl phthalate. The present study accentuates S. wightii butanol and ethanol extracts to cause lethal effects to the second and third instar larvae of An. stephensi.

The Synergistic Effect of Surfactants and Plant Oils on the Effectiveness of Levo to Control the Fourth Phase Larvae of the Great Wax Moth Galleria Mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The laboratory study aimed to know effect three surfactants (Inex-A, Stickon, Wetfix) and plant oils Includes Bitter apple oil Citrullus colocynthis, and Rosemary oil Rosmarinus officinalis on effectiveness five concentrations ppm ((30,40,50,60,70) for commercial pesticide plant origin Levo2.4SL (Oxymatrine) on fourth phase larvae to Great Wax Moth G.mellonella. The results showed that were significant differences in mortality percentage to fourth phase larvae of Great Wax Moth worm by the effects Levo pesticide on larvae, as (Levo + rosemary oil) treatment excelled in achieving highest larval mortality percentage 84%, followed by (Levo + bitter apple oil) treatment, with an average mortality percentage was 72%. while mortality percentage in (Steckon + Levo) and (wetfix + Levo) treatments was 70, 67.33, respectively. Levo pesticide efficacy decreased in (Inex + Levo) treatment to 38% compared with mortality percentage in before addition treatment to Levo pesticide, which amounted to 63.33%.

Larvicidal Effects of Three Plant Ethanolic Extracts against Culex quinquefasciatus SAY. Larvae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate thelarvicidal activity of ethanol extracts from the leaves of three plantspecies: Ricinus communis L. (castor plant), Vinca rosea L. (vinca) andLantana camara L. (lantana). Each of three extracts was used at fiverates; namely, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 ppm, against the 3rd instarlarvae of Culex quinquefasciatus SAY. Larval mortality percentages wererecorded 24 hours after treatment. The larvicidal effect of each extractwas compared with the standard larvicide temephos (Abate® ). The threetested extracts showed larvicidal effects at all rates. Castor extract had thegreatest larvicidal effect with the lowest LC 50 (323.0 ppm), followed byvinca and lantana extracts. These results suggest that the leaf extracts ofthe three plant species should be considered as promising larvicidesagainst Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae

Potency of Bio Magic (Metarhizium anisopliae fungus) and gamma radiation in the black cut worm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) larvae

BackgroundIntegrated pest management is one of the ways to solve the problems of increased outbreaks of pests induced by the effects of climate change. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to study the integrated effect of entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae and gamma radiation to control 5th instar larvae the black cut worm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), under laboratory condition. The leaf dipping technique was used to test the pathogenicity of different concentrations of the fungus against normal and F1 (resulted from irradiated male parent pupae with 100 Gy) larvae. As well as, the changes in the haemocytes were studied using LC50 of M. anisopliae of both treatment (unirradiated and F1 larvae).ResultsThe results showed that larval mortality percentage was both M. anisopliae virulent and time dependent. Furthermore, F1 larvae were more susceptible to M. anisopliae where 100% mortality was recorded after 3 days of M. anisopliae treatment at 8 × 105 spores/ml concentration. While mortality of normal (unirradiated) larvae reached 40% at the same time and concentration. The haematological examination of larvae revealed significant reduces in total haemocyte counts, differential percentage and increase in morphological malformation of the haemocytes which was pronounced by F1 + M. anisopliae LC50.ConclusionsAccording to the obtained results, the gamma irradiation increased the pathogenicity of the fungus against the 5th instar A. ipsilon larvae. So, the combination between the two control tools may provide a satisfactory integrated control program after further field trials.

Biosynthesis, Characterization, Evaluation, and Shelf-Life Study of Silver Nanoparticles against Cotton Bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera).

Nanoparticles provide a promising and alternative platform of eco-friendly technologies that encompasses better cost-resilient remedies against one of the most economically harnessing insect pests of cotton. The main goal of this research was to provide a better management strategy through biologically synthesizing (sunlight exposure method) green nanoparticles from leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica and Pongamia pinnata and proving their bioefficacy on H. armigera (2nd instar). Characterization of bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles was carried out using UV-Visible spectroscopy for confirming the formation of nanoparticles, a Particle Size Analyzer (PSA) for determining the size/distribution of particles, and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for analyzing the surface topology of nanoparticles. The results obtained from PSA analysis showed that A. indica and P. pinnata-based silver nanoparticles had an average diameter of 61.70 nm and 68.80, respectively. Topographical images obtained from SEM proved that most of the green synthesized silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape. A. indica-based silver nanoparticles were found to be comparatively more efficient and have higher insecticidal activity compared to P. pinnata-based nanoparticles. A. indica-based AgNPs recorded larval mortality of 60.00 to 93.33 percent at the concentrations of 500 to 2000 ppm, followed by P. pinnata-based nanoparticles, with 60.00 to 90.00 percent larval mortality. Shelf-life studies revealed that A. indica-based AgNPs had the maximum negative zeta potential of −58.96 mV and could be stored for three months without losing bioefficacy and up to six months with negligible reduction in bioefficacy. Symptoms caused by silver nanoparticles were leakage of body fluids, sluggishness, inactiveness, brittleness, etc.

Detection of Ace-1 Mutation in Temephos-Resistant Aedes aegypti L. in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; Dengue cases have increased while the spread is getting broader worldwide. Temephos has been frequently used to control the larvae of the &lt;i&gt;Aedes aegypti&lt;/i&gt; L., the primary vector of dengue. The intensive use of this larvicide has given rise to resistance. This study aims to determine the susceptibility status of &lt;i&gt;Ae. aegypti&lt;/i&gt; to temephos and examine the two mutations (F290V and F455W) that possibly occur in the &lt;i&gt;Ace-1&lt;/i&gt; gene of &lt;i&gt;Ae. aegypti&lt;/i&gt; from Salido Sub-District, IV Jurai District, Pesisir Selatan Regency. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; The susceptibility test was performed referring to a standard method of the World Health Organization, followed by a molecular test (polymerase chain reaction) and sequencing. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The results showed that the larvae of &lt;i&gt;Ae. aegypti&lt;/i&gt; have been tolerant to temephos (0.012 mg L&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;) with a percentage of larval mortality of 91.67%. The sequencing analysis in the &lt;i&gt;Ace-1&lt;/i&gt; gene revealed the absence of F290V and F455W mutation in temephos-resistant &lt;i&gt;Ae. aegypti&lt;/i&gt;, but a point mutation was detected at codon 506. This mutation shifts the ACA codon to ACT, but still codes for the same amino acid, threonine. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; Our study indicates the presence of other resistance mechanisms in the major dengue vector of the Salido District. Implementation of the alternative population control strategy is required to prevent the temephos resistance further.

Effect of delayed mating on reproductive performance and life-history parameters of dengue vector Aedes aegypti.

Dengue is a fast-spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. The primary vector of the disease is Aedes aegypti of the family Culicidae. It is a container breeder. Since a vaccine or a drug has not been developed against dengue, vector control appears to be the best method so far to control dengue. The current study was conducted to determine the effect of delayed mating on fecundity, fertility, life-history parameters, and longevity of Ae. aegypti, because such information can help formulate integrated vector control strategies involving the release of sub-fertile males into the environment. During this study, mating was delayed by 0, 2, 5, and 8 days after emergence. Males and females were separated by hand at the pupal stage using the apparent size difference of the sexes. The separated pupae were kept in separate cages until emergence. When mating was delayed for 8 days, the number of eggs laid by the female declined by 38%, and the percentage number of eggs that hatched reduced by 24%. However, the percentage of larval mortality, duration of the larval and pupal periods, and adult longevity were not significantly affected. The current results indicate that delayed mating has a negative effect on the reproductive performance of vector mosquitoes.

Bio-directed Chemical Study of Pleurotus ostreatus Spent Substrate and Its Nematicidal Activity.

In the present study, the nematicidal activity of the chemical fractionation of the spent substrate of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus against eggs and L3 larvae of Haemonchus contortus was evaluated. The hydroalcoholic extract of the spent substrate was subjected to a bipartition with ethyl acetate giving two fractions: one aqueous (F. Ac) and one organic (F. AcOET). Both fractions were evaluated against eggs and L3 larvae at different concentrations (5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125mg/mL) and 2% methanol, PBS and thiabendazole (5mg/mL) as controls. Chemical fractionation of F. AcOET was performed in open column chromatography where 76 fractions were obtained and when analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) were grouped into 11 mixtures (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11). These mixtures were evaluated at 10mg/mL against eggs and L3 larvae. The data obtained were analyzed by ANOVA and a Tukey test in the SAS V9 program. The results showed that, in the evaluation of F. AcOET and F. Ac, for the inhibition of egg hatching, the highest percentages were 78.80 and 76.89% at 5mg/mL, respectively. As for the percentage of larval mortality, F. AcOET obtained 60.91 and F. Ac 29.77% at 5mg/mL. The results of the evaluations of the mixtures showed that mixtures R4, R5 obtained 100 and 95.41% larval mortality and mixtures R6 and R7 presented 100% inhibitory activity of egg hatching, so these were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry finding compounds such as vanillin, β-sitosterol, ρ-methyl ρ-hydroxycinnamate and ρ-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The results of the present study demonstrate that the spent substrate of P. ostreatus has potential anthelmintic activity against H. contortus. Moreover, by reusing and taking advantage of this substrate, its environmental pollution effects can be reduced.

EVALUATION OF ANTI-TICK ACTIVITY OF Lawsonia inermis AND Nicotiana tabacum EXTRACTS AGAINST Haemaphysalis bispinosa (ACARI: IXODIDAE)

Purpose: Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are the heamatophages arthropods and an important disease causing ectoparasites of animals and Human. Ticks are primarily controlled by the application of chemical acaricides, though tick populations control has not been achieved adequately. The objective of this present study is to appraise the acaricidal and repellent efficiency of Nicotiana tabacum and Lawsonia inermis extracts using different solvents against H. bispinosa.&#x0D; Methods: The leaves of N. tabacum as well as leaves and seeds of L. inermis were extracted by soxhlet apparatus with five solvents. The active compounds were analyzed by GC MS analysis. A stock solution of plant extracts was prepared in Dimethyl Sulpho Oxide and the subsequent concentrations of 5, 10.15, 20 and 25 mg/ml for acaricidal and 0.5, 1, 1.5,2, and 2.5 mg/ml for repellency bioassay were used as working concentration.&#x0D; Findings: Among the tested extracts, the methanolic and ethanolic extract of both the plants showed the highest activity against ticks. The percent larval tick mortality of N. tabacum and L. inermis varied from 46.9 % to 96.5%, at higher concentration of 25 mg/ml.The repellencies observed in extracts of N. tabacum leaf ranged from the lowest 0.5 mg/ml (31.9%) to the highest 2.5 mg/ml (99%) concentration.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results obtained from the study highlighted the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Nicotiana tabacum and Lawsonia inermis plant products may be used as an alternative to synthetic anti-tick products.

Efficacy of neem bio-pesticide and synthetic insecticides against control of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Maize

Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is prevalent in Zimbabwe, causing significant damage to maize and yield losses. Three synthetic insecticides (Nemesis, Ecoterex and Lamda-cyhalothrin) belonging to different chemical groups and neem bio-pesticide (Neem Leaf Extract) were tested for their efficacy against FAW under laboratory and field conditions. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of neem bio-pesticide and synthetic insecticides on the population of FAW larvae, level of leaf damage and maize grain yield in comparison with untreated control plants. In laboratory experiment, neem bio-pesticide and the three synthetic insecticides resulted in significantly higher FAW larval mortality (p < 0.05) at 24, 48 and 72 hours after application of treatments as compared with the untreated plants. Neem bio-pesticide and the synthetic insecticides caused highest percentage of larval mortality (> 90%) at 72 hours after treatment application. In the field, both bio-pesticide and synthetic insecticides resulted in significantly higher efficacy (p < 0.05) against fall armyworm larvae, reduced the level of leaf damage and increased maize grain yield as compared to the untreated control plants. The untreated maize plants were found to be extensively damaged by FAW as compared to those treated with insecticides and neem bio-pesticide. The highest efficacy was recorded on plants treated with Nemesis, followed by Neem Leaf Extract, Ecoterex and lastly Lamda-cyhalothrin, respectively. The neem bio-pesticide and synthetic insecticides which were used in this study showed high efficacy against FAW larvae and can be recommended to be used as components for integrated pest management (IPM) plans for FAW under smallholder farmer conditions in Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa.

Efficacy of some entomopathogens against Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in stored date fruits

BackgroundEphestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) is one of the most economically important date fruits insect pests, which causes major losses in quantity and quality of the date yield. The present study aimed to evaluate 3 of the entomopathogens: Beauveria bassiana (Basonym 1836), Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff 1879), and Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner 1915) var. kurstaki individually and mixed with each other against E. cautella in stored date fruits.ResultsFour concentrations from spores' suspension of each entomopathogen were sprayed on 50 eggs of E. cautella (24:48 h. old) (for fungal pathogens) and 30 2nd instar larvae of E cautella in glass jars. Pathogenicity was evaluated at different time intervals post treatments 3, 5,7and 14 days. Obtained results showed that mortality percentages of E cautella stages increased by increasing the tested entomopathogen concentrations and increasing of the exposure time. Results indicated that the reduction percentages of E. cautella eggs hatchability after separately treated at the concentrations (3.0 × 105, 3.0 × 106, 3.0 × 107 and 3.0 × 108 spores/ml) were (27.50, 39.17, 48.33 and 62.50%) for B. bassiana, (35.83, 44.17, 50.83 and 69.17%) for M. anisopliae, respectively. After14 days of treatment, the recorded larval mortalities were (49, 62, 77, and 81%) for B. bassiana and (60, 66, 78, and 89%) for M. anisopliae at concentrations (3.0 × 105, 3.0 × 106, 3.0 × 107and 3.0 × 108 spores/ml), respectively. In case of treating E. cautella larvae with B. thuringiensis, the mortality percentage was (44, 52, 63, and 72%) at concentrations (2.0 × 108, 2.0 × 109, 2.0 × 1010 and 2.0 × 1011 spores/ml), respectively, after14 days of exposure. E. cautella larvae were more susceptible to B. bassiana and M. anisopliae than the eggs. M. anisopliae was more effective than B. bassiana. The combination of the entomopathogens LC50 (B. bassiana + M. anisopliae, B. bassiana + B. thuringiensis, M. anisopliae + B. thuringiensis and B. bassiana + M. anisopliae + B. thuringiensis) caused E. cautella larval mortality percentages of 67.00, 73.33, 63.33 and 86.29%, respectively, 14 days after exposure. The combination of the 3 tested entomopathogens (B. bassiana + M. anisopliae + B. thuringiensis) increased their efficacy for controlling E. cautella.ConclusionsThe combination of the tested entomopathogens: B. bassiana, M. anisopliae and B. thuringiensis could be recommended for controlling E. cautella stages in stored date fruits.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PEPPER LEAVES (Piper nigrum L.) AS A LARVACIDE OF Aedes aegypti MOSQUITO

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) cases are quite high in Indonesia. One of the causes of high dengue cases is the high vector population, namely the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Mosquito control Ae. aegypti one of them uses larvicides to break the chain of reproduction. The use of chemical-based larvicides can be bad because it can pollute the environment and cause resistance. As an alternative, you can use natural larvicides made from plants. One of the plants that have the potential as larvicides are pepper (Piper nigrum L.) because it contains compounds that can be toxic to insects such as saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and essential oils. In addition, pepper plants are widely cultivated in Lampung and are easy to obtain. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pepper leaf (P. nigrum L.) as larvicide for Ae. aegypti. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD). There was 1 control and 5 treatments in the form of pepper leaf extract with concentrations of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1%. The test material used was Ae. aegypti instar III. Each treatment used 25 larvae with 4 repetitions. Observations were made after 24 hours of treatment. The data obtained in the form of the number of larval deaths were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Post hoc LSD test. The results of this study showed a significant difference (p = 0.000), and it was found that a concentration of 1% was the most effective concentration as a larvicide for Ae. aegypti with a larval mortality percentage of 92%.

Characterization and pathogenicity of symbiotic bacteria associated with entomopathogenic nematode: Steinernema species KALRO

The soil inhibiting entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), in the family Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae, are useful insect biological control agents. They have been used in the management of economically important crop pests. The EPNs are mutually associated with symbiotic bacteria genus Xenorhabdus and Photoharbdus respectively. The study aimed to isolate, characterize and evaluate the pathogenicity of symbiotic bacteria associated with EPN Steinernema sp. Kalro (Accession MW151701). The EPN Steinernema sp. Karlo was multiplied using the insect baiting technique. Its bacteria symbiont was isolated and characterized based on microscopic, biochemical, and physiological features like Gram staining, urease, motility test, and glucose fermentation test). Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis were performed on 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence. Pathogenicity of the bacteria isolate was evaluated against Tuta absoluta larvae with mortality data recorded after 24 and 48hours of exposure to the bacterial cell suspension. The bacteria were found to be motile and glucose fermentation positive. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA region resulted in 1500bp sequence with maximum similarity of between 97 and 98.93%, with Xenorhabdus spp Accessions from Genbank. It closely matched to Xenorhabdus sp. My8NJ with 98.93% similarity (Accession AB507811.1). Mean percent larval mortality of 68±4.9 and 88±8.0 in the lowest cell suspension was observed in 24 and 48h of exposure. It’s concluded that, the symbiotic bacteria associated with Steinernema sp. Kalro is Xenorhabdus sp. strain Kalro Genbank Accession MW245845. The bacteria is a potential biological control agent against Tuta absoluta larvae. Further classification of the bacteria to species level and pathogenicity trials in the screen house and field are recommended.