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The deterioration and degradation of crops by insects causes economic losses of several billion dollars and affects food security. Sitophilus zeamais and Tetranychus urticae are two economically important species of agricultural crops around the world. The high toxicity of synthetic insecticides and the development of insect resistance to currently used chemicals stimulate the investigation of plant-derived insecticides as new alternatives for pest control. The insecticidal properties of secondary metabolites have been recognized, and have been confirmed scientifically in the last decades. The extract in cyclohexane (Ch) and ethyl acetate (Ea) of the leaves of Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil collected in the dry and rainy seasons were evaluated for the survival and nutritional physiology of S. zeamais (maize weevil) and for the acaricidal effect front T. urticae (two-spotted spider). All extracts induced mortality of S. zeamais ; however, only cyclohexane dry season (Chd) and ethyl acetate in the rainy season (Ear) caused significant mortality (p

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®.

As propriedades inseticidas dos óleos essenciais são geralmente reconhecidas ao longo dos séculos e confirmadas cientificamente nas últimas décadas. Tais produtos podem ser usados na agricultura como uma alternativa para o controle de pragas. O óleo essencial derivado das folhas de Hymenaea courbaril L. var. courbaril foi obtido por hidrodestilação com arraste a vapor e caracterizado fitoquimicamente por cromatografia gasosa/espectrometria de massa (CG/EM); seu potencial acaricida e inseticida foi avaliado contra Tetranychus urticae e Sitophilus zeamais, respectivamente, pragas que ocorrem em uma ampla variedade de culturas economicamente importantes em todo o mundo. Após a análise por CG/EM, foram identificados 36 compostos, sendo 46,42% dos monoterpenos e 51,41% dos sesquiterpenos. Os bioensaios inseticidas avaliaram a interferência do óleo essencial na fisiologia nutricional do gorgulho e no processo de fumigação do ácaro. Os ensaios indicaram que o óleo essencial causou uma mortalidade significativa, promovendo danos fisiológicos ao S. zeamais. O valor de CL50 para T. urticae foi de 35,57 ?L/mL de ar; além disso, também foi observado que a oviposição foi afetada negativamente pelo óleo essencial. O óleo essencial de H. courbaril demonstrou ser um potencial controle de pragas por afetar o metabolismo e a reprodução de ambas as espécies de praga testadas.

Essential oils from the leaves of two species of the genus Ocotea that occur in the Atlantic Forest in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The acaricidal activity of these oils as well as 11 selected components and blends were evaluated in fumigation and residual contact tests against the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Sixty-seven constituents were identified, totaling 97.3 ± 0.3% and 97.8 ± 0.5% of the oils from O. duckei and O. glomerata, respectively. Sesquiterpene was the dominant class. The compounds β-caryophyllene (18.6 ± 0.1%) and aromadendrene (17.3 ± 0.6%) were the main constituents of the oils from O. duckei and O. glomerata, respectively. Acaricidal action varied depending on the method employed, species and chemical nature of the selected constituents. The mites were susceptible to the oils and chemical constituents using the fumigation method. The O. duckei oil was respectively 2.5-fold and 1.5-fold more toxic than the O. glomerata oil using the fumigation and residual contact methods. Among the selected constituents, β-caryophyllene was the most toxic, independently of the method employed. The individual toxicity of the selected compounds and their blends as well as the role of these constituents in the overall toxicity of the essential oils are also discussed.