Efficacy of Botanical Pesticides on Biology and Cellular Immune Active Response of Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella Linnaeus.

Many factors restrict honey bees' productivity and pollination potential, especially with the infestation of Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L., and synthetic pesticides used to manage this pest. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine the efficacy of oils extracted from Pongamia pinnata, Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum, and Thymus vulgaris on the biology and survival of wax moth. The results revealed that all treatments exhibited control over the hatching potential of eggs, and the lowest egg hatchability (6.67%) was observed with peppermint and thyme oil (4%). The larval mortality increased with increasing concentrations of the treatments. The basil oil (4%) showed the highest mortality of 3^rd (76.67%) and 7^th instar larvae (56.67%). All treatments reduced larval duration, while the time of pupation and adult longevity increased compared to the control. The cellular immune active response of 7^th instar larvae at LC₅₀ of these botanicals revealed a decrease in the number of granulocytes and plasmatocytes compared to control. This study demonstrated the potential of botanical pesticides in managing greater wax moth infestations, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]