Abstract
The essential oils from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) obtained from Mersin Province in Turkey, were tested for their fumigant toxicity against all life stages of confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum du Val.). GC-MS analysis showed that 1,8-cineole was found to be the major component of both rosemary and laurel essential oils. Vapors of rosemary and laurel essential oils were toxic to all life stages ofT. confusum. Only 65% mortality of the eggs was achieved when exposed to a dose of 172.6 mgl −1 air of rosemary essential oil at the longest exposure period (144 h); at the same dose, the pupae were the most resistant stage, with LT90 (lethal time) value of 120.2 h. The adults were the most resistant stage to laurel essential oil, with LT90 value of 77.2 h. On the basis of LT90 values, tolerance of the life stages ofT. confusum to rosemary and laurel essential oils was, in descending order: pupa < larva < adult, and larva < adult < egg < pupa, respectively. Based on the concentration × time (Ct) products (g hl −1), rosemary essential oil was more toxic than laurel to the adults and larvae ofT. confusum. However, laurel essential oil was more toxic than rosemary to the eggs and pupae. Since these essential oils need such high Ct products to obtain complete mortality ofT. confusum compared with the most commonly used commercial fumigants, it would be impossible to use them on their own as a commercial fumigant against stored-product insects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbott, W.S. (1925) A method for computing the effectiveness of an insecticide.J. Econ. Entomol. 18:265–267.
Adams, R. (1995) Identification of Essential Oil Components by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Allured Publishing Corp., Carol Stream, IL, USA. pp. 15–45.
Andronikashvili, M. and Reichmuth, C. (2002) Repellency and toxicity of essential oils fromOcimum gratissimum (Lamiaceae) andLaurus nobilis (Lauraceae) from Georgia against the rust-red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).Proc. 8th Int. Working Conf. on Stored-Product Protection (York, UK), pp. 749–762.
Bang, Y.H. and Telford, H.S. (1966) Effect of sub-lethal doses of fumigants on stored-grain insects.Wash. Agric. Exp. Stn. Tech. Bull. No. 50.
Basilico, M.Z. and Basilico, J.C. (1999) Inhibitory effects of some spice essential oils onAspergillus ochraceus NRRL 3174 growth and ochratoxin A production.Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 29:238–241.
Busvine, J.R. (1938) The toxicity of ethylene oxide toSitophilus oryzae, S. granarius, Tribolium castaneum andCimex lectularius.Ann. Appl. Biol. 25:605–632.
Coats, J.R., Karr, L.L. and Drewes, C.D. (1991) Toxicity and neurotoxic effects of monoterpenoids in insects and earthworms.in: Hedin, P.A. [Ed.] Naturally Occurring Pest Bioregulators. ACS, Washington, DC. pp. 305–316.
Desmarchelier, J.M. (1994) Grain protectants: trends and developmentsin: Highley, E., Wright, E.J., Banks, H.J. and Champ, B.R. [Eds.] Stored Product Protection. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. pp. 722–728.
Donahaye, E.J. (1990) Laboratory selection of resistance by the red flour beetle,Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), to an atmosphere of low oxygen concentration.Phytoparasitica 18:189–202.
Golob, P. and Webley, D.J. (1980) The use of plants and minerals as traditional protectants of stored products. Report of the Tropical Products Institute, London, UK.
Greenspan, L. (1977) Humidity fixed points of binary saturated aqueous solutions.J. Res. Natl. Bur. Stand. Phys. Chem. 81A:89–96.
Guenther, E. (1955) The Essential Oils. vol. I: History and Origin in Plant Production Analysis. D. Van Nostrand Co. Inc., New York, NY.
Harwood, S.H., Moldenke, A.F. and Berry, R.E. (1990) Toxicity of peppermint monoterpenes to the variegated cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 83:1761–1767.
Hole, B.D. (1981) Variation in tolerance of seven species of stored product Coleoptera to methyl bromide and phosphine in strains from twenty-nine countries.Bull. Entomol. Res. 71:299–306.
Konstantopoulou, I., Vassilopoulou, L., Mauragani-Tsipidov, P. and Scouras, Z.G. (1992) Insecticidal effects of essential oils. A study of the effects of essential oils extracted from eleven Greek aromatic plants onDrosophila auraria.Experientia 48:616–619.
Kubo, I., Muroi, H. and Kubo, A. (1994) Naturally occurring antiacne agents.J. Nat. Prod. 57:9–17.
Lee, B.H., Choi, W.S., Lee, S.E. and Park, B.S. (2001) Fumigant toxicity of essential oils and their constituent compounds towards the rice weevil,Sitophilus oryzae (L.).Crop Prot. 20:317–320.
LeOra (1987) POLO-PC: A Users’ Guide to Probit or Logit Analysis. LeOra Software, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Lindgren, D.L. and Vincent, L.E. (1965) The susceptibility of laboratory and field cultures ofTribolium confusum andT. castaneum to ethylene dibromide, HCN and methyl bromide.J. Econ. Entomol. 58:551–556.
Navarro, S. and Gonen, M. (1970) Some techniques for laboratory rearing and experimentation withEphestia cautella (Wlk.) (Lepidoptera, Phycitidae).J. Stored Prod. Res. 6:187–189.
Ndungu, M., Lwande, W., Hassanali, A., Moreka, L. and Chhabra, S.C. (1995)Cleome monophylla essential oil and its constituents as tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) and maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) repellents.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 76:217–222.
Papachristos, D.P. and Stamopoulos, D.C. (2002) Repellent, toxic and reproduction inhibitory effects of essential oil vapours onAcanthoscelides obtectus (Say.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).J. Stored Prod. Res. 38:117–128.
Papachristos, D.P. and Stamopoulos, D.C. (2002) Toxicity of vapour of three essential oils to the immature stages ofAcanthoscelides obtectus (Say.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).J. Stored Prod. Res. 38:365–373.
Plarre, R. and Reichmuth, C. (1997) Effects of carbonyl sulfide (COS) onSitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae),Fusarium culmorum andFusarium avenaceum (Sacc.) (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes), and corrosion on copper.Proc. Int. Conf. on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products (1996, Nicosia, Cyprus), pp. 59–71.
Raja, N., Albert, S., Ignacimuthu, S. and Dorn, S. (2001) Effect of plant volatile oils in protecting stored cowpeaVigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers againstCallosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) infestation.J. Stored Prod. Res. 37:127–132.
Regnault-Roger, C. and Hamraoui, A. (1994) Inhibition of reproduction ofAcanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera), a kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) bruchid, by aromatic essential oils.Crop Prot. 13:624–628.
Regnault-Roger, C. and Hamraoui, A. (1995) Fumigant toxic activity and reproductive inhibition induced by monoterpenes onAcanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera), a bruchid of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).J. Stored Prod. Res. 31:291–299.
Rice, P.J. and Coats, C.R. (1994) Insecticidal properties of several monoterpenoids to the housefly (Diptera: Muscidae), red flour beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and southern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 87:1172–1179.
Robertson, J.L. and Preisler, H.K. (1992) Pesticide Bioassays with Arthropods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Saim, N. and Meloan, C.E. (1986) Compounds from leaves of bay (Laurus nobilis L.) as repellents forTribolium castaneum (Herbst) when added to wheat flour.J. Stored Prod. Res. 22:141–144.
Saxena, R.C., Dixit, O.P. and Harshan, V. (1992) Insecticidal action ofLantana camara againstCallosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).J. Stored Prod. Res. 28:279–281.
Shaaya, E., Kostjukovski, M., Eilberg, J. and Sukprakarn, C. (1997) Plant oils as fumigants and contact insecticides for the control of stored-product insects.J. Stored Prod. Res. 33:7–15.
Tunç, I., Berger, B.M., Erler, F. and Dağlı, F. (2000) Ovicidal activity of essential oils from five plants against two stored-product insects.J. Stored Prod. Res. 36:161–168.
Weaver, D.K., Dunkel, F.V., Potter, R.C. and Ntezurubanza, L. (1994) Contact and fumigant efficacy of powdered and intactOcimum canum Sims (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) againstZabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) adults (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).J. Stored Prod. Res. 30:243–252.
Williams, P. (1985) Toxicity of methyl bromide in carbon dioxide enriched atmospheres to beetles attacking stored grain.Gen. Appl. Entomol. 17:17–24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 15, 2006.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Isikber, A.A., Alma, M.H., Kanat, M. et al. Fumigant toxicity of essential oils fromLaurus nobilis andRosmarinus officinalis against all life stages ofTribolium confusum . Phytoparasitica 34, 167–177 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02981317
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02981317