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Essential oils from the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits of Melaleuca leucadendra growing in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of the oils and their major constituent were evaluated on the agricultural pests Tetranychus urticae and Plutella xylostella in different stages of development. The analysis revealed a M. leucadendra chemotype rich in (E)-nerolidol (81.78 ± 0.90 to 95.78 ± 1.20%). P. xylostella was more susceptible to the oils and major constituent than T. urticae. The fruit oil was 1.5-fold more toxic than the leaf oil to T. urticae eggs. (E)-Nerolidol was 5.5-fold and 4.5-fold more toxic to T. urticae adults than the leaf and fruit oils, respectively. Azamax® used as the positive control was more efficient than the oils and (E)-nerolidol against T. urticae. However, the oils and (E)-nerolidol were more toxic to P. xylostella than Azamax®.