Insecticidal activity of the essential oil of oregano, Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae) against the yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor, Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v18i1.6624Keywords:
botanical pesticides, stored-grain protection, biopesticides, plant-based formulations, pest control, natural products, sustainable agricultureAbstract
Introduction: Tenebrio molitor is a major stored-product pest that causes economic losses and contamination of grains and derived products. Given the limitations of synthetic insecticides, including resistance, residual toxicity, and environmental pollution, essential oils from aromatic plants are potential alternatives for pest management. Objective: To evaluate the effects of Origanum vulgare essential oil on the mortality and survival of T. molitor larvae under laboratory conditions. Methods: We obtained the essential oil from dried O. vulgare leaves by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus. We evaluated four treatments: T1, miscible liquid of pure oregano extract; T2, soluble concentrate of the extract residue; T3, a commercial insecticide based on Prallethrin and d-Phenothrin; and T4, control. We sprayed the treatments onto larvae kept in plastic trays for six days. We recorded mortality and survival daily and analyzed them using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and generalized linear models (GLM) with a binomial distribution. Results: Mortality differed significantly among treatments (F = 3.631; p = 0.0451). T3 produced the highest mortality, close to 40%, and the lowest survival, differing significantly from the other treatments. T1, T2, and the control had mortality below 10%, with no significant differences among them. Conclusion: The O. vulgare formulations failed to produce the desited mortality under the evaluated conditions. We recommend testing higher concentrations to determine whether increased doses can achieve effective insecticidal activity against T. molitor.
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