Laboratory evaluation of insecticidal activity of plant essential oils against the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus

PESCHIUTTA M.L; PIZZOLITTO R.P; ORDANO M.A; ZAIO Y.P.; ZYGADLO J.A

VITIS

JKI-INSTITUT REBENZUCHTUNG

Lugar: Siebeldingen; Año: 2017 vol. 56 p. 79 - 83

0042-7500

Planococcus ficus is a principal mealybug pest ofvineyards worldwide. Minthostachys verticillata andEucalyptus globulus essential oils (EO) were evaluatedas insecticidal products on P. ficus, and the main componentsof M. verticillata and E. globulus EO were alsotested as insecticidal compounds against vine mealybugfemales under laboratory conditions. The resultsrevealed that M. verticillata EO was more toxic thanE. globulus EO, while pulegone (LC50 39.60 µL·L-1) wasmore toxic than the other constituents of the EO studied.Menthofuran, an oxidation product of pulegone bycytochrome P450 enzymes, showed an LC50 value of63.97 µL·L-1. Thus, the mechanism of insect detoxificationdid not reduce the toxic potential of the pulegone.In addition, 1,8-cineole had a higher insecticidal propertythan its isomer 1,4-cineole. Our studies suggestthat the pulegone can be a useful fumigant botanicalinsecticide to protect crops against vine mealybug attacks