Insecticidal activity of Asteraceae species against Spodoptera spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): A review

Abstract

Plant extracts can be effective as crop protectants against pests and, therefore, can be used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of insect pests. The advantage of using natural insecticides is that they degrade rapidly and are generally less toxic to mammals than are traditional synthetic ones. Recent studies indicate the biological potential of Asteraceae species, which have, for example, repellent, antifeedant, acaricidal, antifungal and insecticidal activities.Among the numerous insect pests of economically important crops, the genus Spodoptera bears some of the most destructive in the world due to the worldwide distribution of the different species and their wide host ranges. Thus, in this review, we present data on the insecticidal effect against Spodoptera spp. caused by pure metabolites and crude extracts obtained from Asteraceae plants.