Screening of the Acaricidal Activity of Essential Oils against Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract

The citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor), is an important pest of citrus in China, where pesticides are commonly used in citrus orchards. In order to reduce the use of chemical pesticides against P. citri and the development of resistance, the screening of biological control agents has attracted the attention of students. In this study, seven plant essential oils with high toxicity were selected from 40 plant essential oils by the leaf-dip bioassay, including plant essential oils of lemongrass, patchouli, juniper berry, sage, clove, frankincense, and citrus. The LC50 after 72 h treatment were 3.198 μL/mL, 8.312 μL/mL, 3.244 μL/mL, 6.701 μL/mL, 8.350 μL/mL, 21.953 μL/mL, and 8.788 μL/mL, respectively. According to the LT50, the essential oils’ acute toxicity to P. citri from high to low were lemongrass, juniper berry, patchouli, citrus, sage, vetiver, and frankincense essential oils. In general, lemongrass and juniper berry essential oils have the best acaricidal effect and have high application value for the biological control of P. citri, which provides a basis for the development of botanical acaricides.

Toxicological and physiological activity of lemongrass and peppermint essential oils on life-table parameters of Oligonychus mangiferus and its predatory mite, Cydnoseius negevi

“…This research is a step on the road to nding alternatives to pesticides and is consistent with previous research in this eld. Based on previous research, lemongrass and juniper berry are extremely toxic to Panonychus citri McGregor (Zhu et al 2023). Additionally, lemongrass and peppermint oils dramatically increased adult mortality of Tetranychus urticae Koch at 10 µl/liter (Lim et al 2011).…”

Plant Essential Oils: Dual Action of Toxicity and Egg-Laying Inhibition on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), Unveiling Their Potential as Botanical Pesticides

“…These results, which are consistent with the conclusions of this study, demonstrate that these EOs not only have contact-killing effects on T. urticae but also exhibit excellent fumigant activity. In this study, frankincense EO exhibited higher toxicity towards T. urticae (with an LC 50 value of 4.611 μL/mL) but a lower toxicity towards Panonychus citri McGregor (with an LC 50 value of 21.953 μL/mL) [ 23 ]. On the other hand, patchouli and citrus EOs demonstrated higher toxicity towards P. citri [ 23 ], while showing lower toxicity towards T. urticae here.…”

“…In this study, frankincense EO exhibited higher toxicity towards T. urticae (with an LC 50 value of 4.611 μL/mL) but a lower toxicity towards Panonychus citri McGregor (with an LC 50 value of 21.953 μL/mL) [ 23 ]. On the other hand, patchouli and citrus EOs demonstrated higher toxicity towards P. citri [ 23 ], while showing lower toxicity towards T. urticae here. In addition to its effects on tetranychid, the study of EOs on other pests has also received attention.…”

“…For instance, sage EO demonstrated antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens such as Zymoseptoria tritici and Fusarium culmorum , while also displaying significant anti-germination effects on lettuce and rye grass [ 26 ]. The research conducted by our research group has found that patchouli and Vetiver essential oils exhibit certain inhibitory effects against the citrus red mite, P. citri [ 23 ], as well as the citrus disease pathogen, Penicillium digitatum [ 43 ]. The screening of EO varieties that possess both antibacterial and insecticidal properties can be more time-efficient, labor-saving, and cost-effective.…”

Acaridical activity of plant extracts to control Date palm fruit dust mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Acari Tetranchidae)

“…This nding suggests that plant extracts' bioactive compounds necessitate time to manifest their acaricidal actions on dust mites (Fu et al, 2021). Likewise, studies examined the acaricidal e cacy of plant extracts against other pests have yielded comparable results (Hanifah et al, 2011;Zhu et al, 2023).…”