Potential toxicity of some essential oils on mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera : Pseudococcidae)‎

Abstract EN

The present work was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of some essential oils on the populations of the hibiscus mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) under Laboratory and field conditions.

The essential oils were ginger (Zingiber officinale), garlic (Allium sativum), lemone (Citrus aurantiifolia) and mint (Menth sp.) .

One compound insecticide (Actara) was used as control measure for the essential oils.

LC50 of each treatment were established after 24, 48 and 72 hours the alive of mealybugs and the obtained results revealed that the lemone was the most effective.

Ginger and garlic, also, was more effective than mint which has very low effect on mealybug.

LC50 was 0.78, 3.07, 0.02 and 57.94; 0.47, 2.29, 0.01 and 41.80 and 0.32, 1.51, 0.01 and 24.39 0.32, 1.51, 0.01 and 24.39 ppm, for ginger, garlic, lemone e, mint, after 24, 48 and 72 hrs., respectively.

Mortality percentages were calculated after 7, 15 and 21 days post treatment.

The results indicated that the average mortality percentages of mealybugs were 63.92, 51.89, 72.72, 29.67 and 87.38 for 2018 year and 61.49, 54.46, 73.77, 31.75 and 88.55 for 2019 year by ginger, garlic, lemone e, mint and actara, respectively.

The efficacy of ginger, garlic, mint, lemone and actara in all treatments can be useful for development safe elements for an IPM strategy to mealybugs.

So, it prefers to use the essential oils for controlling the insect in IPM program and more studies should be carried on ginger and garlic to improve their efficiency for control insect pests to minimize the environmental pollution with pesticides.