Sensitivity of Aedes aegypti adults (Diptera: Culicidae) to the vapours of Eucalyptus essential oils

A.LUCIA; S.LICASTRO; E. ZERBA; P. GONZALEZ AUDINO; H. MASUH

BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2009 vol. 100 p. 6083 - 6087

0960-8524

Vapors of essential oils extracted from various species of Eucalyptus (E. gunnii, E. tereticornis, E. grandis, E. Eucalyptus (E. gunnii, E. tereticornis, E. grandis, E. camaldulensis, E. dunnii, E. cinerea, E. saligna, E. sideroxylon, E. globulus ssp. globulus, E. globulus ssp. maide-, E. dunnii, E. cinerea, E. saligna, E. sideroxylon, E. globulus ssp. globulus, E. globulus ssp. maide- nii, E. viminalis and the hybrids E. grandis E. tereticornis and E. grandis E. camaldulensis) and theirE. viminalis and the hybrids E. grandis E. tereticornis and E. grandis E. camaldulensis) and their major components were found to be toxic to Aedes aegypti adults, the yellow fever mosquito. Aedes aegypti adults, the yellow fever mosquito. An aliquot of each oil was placed in a cylindrical test chamber and the number of knocked-down mos- quitoes was recorded as function of time. Knockdown time 50% was then calculated. Results showed that E. viminalis had the fastest knockdown time at of 4.2 min, on the same order as dichlorvos, a standard had the fastest knockdown time at of 4.2 min, on the same order as dichlorvos, a standard knockdown agent. A correlation was observed between the content of 1,8-cineole in the Eucalyptus essen- Eucalyptus essen- tial oils and the corresponding toxic effect. The correlation between KT50 values and calculated vapor pressures of the essential oil components 50 values and calculated vapor pressures of the essential oil components showed that the fumigant activity of simple organic compounds in insects is correlated with their volatility.volatility.