The effect of four plant essential oils on feeding behavior of Tribolium castaneum (Col.: Tenebrionidae)

عنوان دوره: دومین کنگره بین المللی حشره شناسی ایران

Samaneh Mahmoudvand؛ Jahanshir Shakarami

Antifeedant activity of essential oils extracted from Mentha longifolia, Thymus daenensis, Achillea wilhelmisii and Artemisa haussknechtii were tested against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Several experiments were designed to measure the nutritional indices such as relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and feeding deterrence index (FDI). Treatments were evaluated by the method of flour disc bioassay in the dark, at 27±1°C and 60±5 % R. H. In this experiment concentrations of essential oils (0.9-6µl/discs) were prepared from each essential oil and only acetone in controls. The solvent was allowed to evaporate and then 10 adults of T. castaneum were introduced into each treatment. After 72 h, nutritional indices were calculated. Based on data, only essential oil of M. longifolia significantly reduced RGR and RCR. Result showed that essential oils of T. daenensis, A. wilhelmisii and A. haussknechtii significantly affected RGR and RCR of T. castaneum in the highest concentration (6 µl/disk). Data showed that essential oil of M. longifolia reduced ECI (10%) in adults at 0.9 µl/disk. Feeding deterrence index of 92% was achieved in adults at 0.9 µl/disk, whereas the FDI at 6 µl/disk were 79, 89 and 91%, for T. daenensis, A. wilhelmisii and A. haussknechtii essential oils, respectively.

Essential oils؛ Tribolium castaneum؛ relative growth rate؛ relative consumption rate؛ efficiency of conversion of ingested food؛ feeding deterrence index