Repellency and Bioactivity of Caatinga Biome Plant Powders against<i>Callosobruchus maculatus</i>(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

Abstract

The Caatinga biome represents the 4th-largest area covered by single vegetation in Brazil and contains dry forests rich in aromatic bushes, vines, herbs, and trees. The flora of this ecological region is widely known and employed in folk medicine and has other utilitarian and economic uses; however, its potential for controlling or repelling insects is poorly investigated. In this study, we evaluated the potential use of Caatinga plant species for controlling infestations of Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), the most important insect pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabales: Fabaceae). Powders of the leaves and stems of 9 plant species, including Amburana cearensis A. C. Smith ("cumaru") (Fabales: Fabaceae), Croton sonderianus Mll. Arg. ("marmeleiro") (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae), Cleome spinosa Jacq. ("mussamb") (Capparales: Cleomaceae), Mimosa tenuiflora Benth. ("jurema-preta") (Fabales: Fabaceae), Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Benth.) Brenan ("angico-vermelho") (Fabales: Fabaceae), Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart. ("pereiro") (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Senna occidentalis (L.) H.S. Irwin & R