Behavioral Activity of Catnip (Lamiaceae) Essential Oil Components to the German Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

Abstract

The essential oil of catnip, Nepeta cataria L., contains two isomers of nepetalactone, E,Z-and Z,Enepetalactone, and was tested for repellent activity to adult male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), in a choice-test arena. The two isomers of nepetalactone were purified by using preparative thin-layer chromatography and tested for behavioral activity in the choice-test arena. Significant differences due to concentration were detected by analysis of variance, and the responses were compared by least-squared means analysis. The activities of the essential oil and purified isomers were compared with N,Ndiethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) by a paired t-test. E,Z-Nepetalactone was the most active of the compounds tested, being significantly more active to this species than equivalent doses of DEET, the essential oil, or Z,E-nepetalactone. Antennectomized insects showed no response to concentrations that were active against intact insects. ABSTRACT The essential oil of catnip, Nepeta cataria L., contains two isomers of nepetalactone, E,Zand Z,E-nepetalactone, and was tested for repellent activity to adult male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), in a choice-test arena. The two isomers of nepetalactone were puriÞed by using preparative thin-layer chromatography and tested for behavioral activity in the choice-test arena. SigniÞcant differences due to concentration were detected by analysis of variance, and the responses were compared by least-squared means analysis. The activities of the essential oil and puriÞed isomers were compared with N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) by a paired t-test. E,Z-Nepetalactone was the most active of the compounds tested, being signiÞcantly more active to this species than equivalent doses of DEET, the essential oil, or Z,E-nepetalactone. Antennectomized insects showed no response to concentrations that were active against intact insects.

Repellency Assays with Schinus molle var. areira (L.) (Anacardiaceae) Essential Oils against Blattella germanica L. (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

“…This indicates that the chemoreceptors involved in this behavioral response are probably located on the antennae. Similar results were obtained by Peterson et al (2002) when evaluated the behavioral activity of catnip, Nepeta cataria L. (Lamiaceae), essential oil components to the German cockroach. Chirino et al (2001) reported repellent effects of crude extracts from fruits of S. molle in neonate larvae of Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae).…”

The Role of Specific Tomato Volatiles in Tomato-Whitefly Interaction

“…Solanaceous plants, like tomato, often make use of these terpenes for the defense against herbivores (Snyder et al, 1993;Kennedy, 2003). Some terpenes have been shown to exhibit repellent properties to insects (Peterson et al, 2002;Birkett et al, 2004;Terry et al, 2007). These plantproduced semiochemicals can potentially be used as insect repellents of natural origin, thus providing an alternative to the use of pesticides (Peterson and Coats, 2001).…”

Natural odor ligands for olfactory receptor neurons of the female mosquito Aedes aegypti: use of gas chromatography-linked single sensillum recordings

“…In addition to responses to human volatiles, we observed responses to nepetalactone in sbtI1 sensilla. Nepetalactone is the primary component of catnip oil, the vapors of which have been shown to be repellent to a diverse number of insect species, including mosquitoes (Amer and Mehlhorn, 2006a;Eisner, 1964;Peterson and Coats, 2001;Peterson et al, 2002). In behavioral tests, nepetalactone acts as a 'spatial repellent', inhibiting the landing rate of Ae.…”