Responses of desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera : Acrididae)‎ to treatment with chemically synthesized zinc and copper oxides nanoparticles

Abstract EN

The desert locust Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is harmful insect which cause huge economic losses in agricultural sector all over the world.

Nanotechnology is a promising field of interdisciplinary research.

Moreover, it provides as ecofriendly and efficient alternatives for the management of insect pests in agriculture.

The current work strives for obtaining safe, effective and economic insecticides; Zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) as alternative insecticides through the assessment of biological effect on S.

gregaria.

The nanoparticles were chemically synthesized in laboratory scale and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirmed the nanostructure.

The resulted LT50s were recorded after 10.994, 21.148 days respectively while latent biological responses of desert locusts were recorded in ZnO more than CuO NPs.

Also, treatments revealed a notable inhibition in activity of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE.) enzyme