Insecticidal activity of essential oil of Prangos ferulacea (Umbelliferae) against Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Trichogramma embryophagum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Abstract

Essential oil vapors obtained by the hydrodistillation of Prangos ferulacea (Umbelliferae) were tested on the different stages of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and egg parasitoid Trichogramma embryophagum Hartig (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Extracts of the volatile fractions from P. ferulacea were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major compound of the essential oil was detected as 2,3,6-trimethyl benzaldehyde (66.59%) and the minor compound was heneicosane (0.02%). The third instar larvae of E. kuehniella (LC_{50}: 379.662 µL L^{-1} air and LC_{99}: 538.755 µL L^{-1} air) and the pupal stage of T. embryophagum (LC_{50}: 5.947 µL L^{-1} air and LC_{99}: 19.568 µL L^{-1} air) were found to be the most tolerant stages. The essential oil was toxic to the adult stages of both the pest and its parasitoid with 100% mortality obtained after 24 h at 1.0 and 0.25 µL L^{-1} air, respectively. The LC_{50} and LC_{99} values of the essential oil against the egg stages of E. kuehniella and T. embryophagum were 320.372-486.839 µL L^{-1} air and 2.121-5.662 µL L^{-1} air, respectively. In general, the mortality rate increased with the increasing concentration of essential oil. The results of the study indicated that essential oil of P. ferulacea should be used as a control agent against E. kuehniella for an integrated pest management program.