Toxicity to Vapor Exposure and Topical Application of Essential Oils and Monoterpenes on Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae)

TARELLI, GUILLERMO; ZERBA, EDUARDO N; ALZOGARAY, RAÚL A

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY

Entomological Society of America

Lugar: Lanham MD; Año: 2009 vol. 102 p. 1383 - 1388

0022-0493

>Musca domestica L. has developed resistance to most insecticides used against it. For this reason, there is a constant search for new alternative control tools. The aims of this study were: (a) to evaluate the toxicological effects caused by the fumigant activity and the topical application of five essential oils and five monoterpenes in M.domestica adult males; (b) to study the variation of the fumigant activity of the essential oils and monoterpenes according to the solvent used (acetone or a silicone base). Houses flies were exposed to vapors delivered by filter paper treated with 200 µl of essential oil or monoterpene (10%) in acetone or a silicone base. The Knockdown 50% (KT50) values obtained for essential oils (expressed in min) were: 3.3 (eucalyptus); 10.1 (orange); 10.4 (mint); 10.9 (lavender); 17.7 (geranium). The KT50 values obtained for monoterpenes (expressed in min) were: 2.3 (eucalyptol); 7.5 (limonene); 7.6 (linalool); 19.0 (menthone); 22.6 (menthyl acetate). In all cases, a delay in the onset of poisoning symptoms was observed when a silicone base vehicle was used. When topically applied, the Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) values for essential oils (expressed in µg of oil/insect) were: 0.07 (geranium); 0.09 (mint); 0.13 (lavender); 0.14 (eucalyptus); 0.16 (orange). The LD50 values for monoterpenes (expressed in µg of monoterpene/insect) were: 0.04 (linalool); 0.09 (menthyl acetate); 0.10 (limonene); 0.11 (menthone); 0.13 (eucalyptol). These results suggest that the studied essential oils and monoterpenes are potential tools for controlling M. domestica.