Insecticidal activity of essential oils in controlling fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

Abstract

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the main pests in maize crop with developing resistance to chemical products and Bt technology. Therefore, alternative control methods such as essential oils are important steps in the implementation management strategies for this pest. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of essential oils (EOs) of Corymbia citriodora, Myrciaria dubia (Myrtaceae), Lippia microphylla (Verbenaceae) and Piper umbelattum (Piperaceae) in controlling S. frugiperda. The OEs were extracted and mortality tests were conducted with topic and volatile applications, in 30 second-instar caterpillars originated from insect rearing and artificial diet. As a control, we conducted tests with distilled water and acetone. EOs that provided mortality rates above 80% were submitted to chemical analysis for constituent identification. The efficient EOs were only those of C. citriodora and L. microphylla. For EO of C. citriodora, the LD80 was 7.06 ± 0.73 mg.g -1 in topical application and 5.85 ± 0.75 μL via volatile application. On the other hand, for EO of L. microphylla, DL80 was 9.95 ± 1.25 mg.g -1 in topical application and 18.56 ± 3.55 μL via volatile application. Chemical analysis showed that the main constituents were citronella for the EO of C. citriodora and (E)-caryophyllene and (E)-nerolidol to the EO of L. microphylla. EOs of C. citriodora and L. microphylla are promising for controlling S. frugiperda, with emphasis on the volatile effect of C. citriodora oil.

Genotoxicity of Some Plant Essential Oils in Cotton Leafworm, Spodoptera Littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): The Potential Role of Detoxification Enzymes

“…Essential oils, such as basil, may express repellent, toxic, or oviposition deterrent effect on various insects (Dryophthoridae, Curculionidae, Bostrichidae, Tenebrionidae, Bruchidae, and Gelechiidae) [31,32] . Similar results were obtained in attaining up to 100% 3 rd instar larval mortality of the fall armyworm "S. frugiperda" through ingestion bioassay [33] .…”

Atividade antimicrobiana e inseticida do óleo essencial de Piper amalago L. (Piperaceae) / Antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of the essential oil of Piper amalago L. (Piperaceae)

“…Nas plantas, desempenham funções distintas, como a atração de polinizadores e a proteção contra predadores e patógenos. Apresentam uma variedade de atividades biológicas, entre elas se destacam as atividades antioxidante, antimicrobiana, inseticida e repelente 1,2,3,4 .…”

Chemical analysis and insecticidal activity of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil and its major constituent against Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is considered a key crop pest of maize because it attacks all stages of plant development and different species of food plants (I. Cruz, 2008;Negrini et al, 2019). Corn, together with soy, is the crop that most demands the use of agrochemicals in the handling of the caterpillar (SINDAG, 2012).…”