Lethal and sublethal effects of Citrus aurantium and Citrus sinensis essential oils and their major component limonene on Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an insect pest with great socio-economic importance in different agricultural regions worldwide. This species is highly adaptive and polyphagous, feeding on wild and cultivated host plants. Successive pesticide applications, which negatively affect the environment, are mainly used for managing H. armigera. Studies have investigated alternative methods with low environmental and socioeconomic impacts, including using essential oils. Essential oils are secondary plant-derived metabolites with insecticidal activity in different insect pest populations. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal activity of essential oils of Citrus aurantium (Linnaeus) (Rutaceae) and Citrus sinensis (Linnaeus) (Rutaceae) as well as their major component limonene on the biology and reproduction of H. armigera. The essential oils were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Further, their toxicity and the effects of their lethal and sublethal concentrations in larvae and on biological and reproductive parameters in adults were evaluated. All treatments exhibited insecticidal activity and lethal and sub-lethal effects on the biology and reproduction of H. armigera. Therefore, these essential oils could be used to control H. armigera.

Keywords:

• Toxicology
• Lepidoptera
• Biology
• Reproduction