Essential oil composition and insecticidal activity of Satureja boissieri against Sitophilus granarius (Coleoptera:Curculionidae) and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

In the scope of this study, we have investigated fumigant and contact toxicity effects of Satureja boissieri Hausskn. ex Boiss. essential oil against Sitophilus granarius L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The fumigant and contact toxicity experiments were carried out with the adults of Sitophilus granarius whereas the contact toxicity experiment was carried out with the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th larvae of S. littoralis. Also, various fractions of S. boissieri essential oil were investigated for fumigant activity against S. granarius. In fumigant toxicity studies, the highest activity was obtained at 36 hours with a dose of 0.1 μl/ ml with a 100% mortality rate. Fractions of the essential oil had significant fumigant activity on S. granarius (100% fumigant activity at 0.1 μl/ml). Contact toxicity of 100 μl/ ml essential oil on the 3 rd and 4 th larval stage of S. littoralis, was determined to be 100%, however, on the 5 th larval stage it was 90.17%. The activity at 25 μl/ml dose was 71.12% in the 3 rd larval stage whereas the activity remained very low (6.39-22.20%) in other larval stages. These results indicated that essential oil of S. boissieri have significant potential which merits to be studied further in possible applications as fumigant and contact insecticide in the control of S. granarius and S. littoralis.There are 574 species and 741 taxa belonging to the Lamiaceae family in Turkey (Davis 1982, Erik andTarikahya 2004).Many important genus including Satureja sp., Origanum sp., Thymus sp. that have extensive uses such as tea, spice