Pest Management Science (2012) 68, 1069-1076

Sabrine Attia, Kaouthar L. Grissa, Anne C. Mailleux, Stéphanie Heuskin, Georges Lognay and Thierry Hance (2012)
Acaricidal activities of Santolina africana and Hertia cheirifolia essential oils against the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)
Pest Management Science 68 (7), 1069-1076
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many plant essential oils show a broad spectrum of activity against pests. This study investigated the effects of two essential oils on Tetranychus urticae, one of the most serious pests in the world.
RESULTS: The chemical composition of the two oils was characterised by GC-MS. The most abundant component in the Santolina africana (Jord. and Fourr) oil was terpinen-4-ol (54.96%), while thymol (61%) was prevalent in the Hertia cheirifolia (L.) oil. Mortality and fecundity were measured upon treatment with oil concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 6.75 mg L⁻¹ with a Potter spray tower. Mite mortality increased with oil concentration, with LC₅₀ values of 2.35 mg L⁻¹ for S. africana and 3.43 mg L⁻¹ for H. cheirifolia respectively. For both oils, a reduction in fecundity was observed at concentrations of 0.07, 0.09 and 0.29 mg L⁻¹. Artificial blends of constituents of oils were also prepared and tested with individual constituents missing from the mixture. The results showed that the presence of all constituents was necessary to equal the toxicity of the two natural oils.
CONCLUSION: S. africana and H. cheirifolia oils can provide valuable acaricide activity with significantly lower LC₅₀ values. Thus, these oils cause important mortality and reduce the number of eggs laid by females.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Sabrine Attia, Thierry Hance

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae