title: Evaluation of Some Plant Essential Oils against the Brown-Banded Cockroach,Supella longipalpa(Blattaria: Ectobiidae): A Mechanical Vector of Human Pathogens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Essential oils, as secondary plant compounds, present a safer alternative to conventional insecticides in insect control programs. So five essential oils including eucalyptus, mint, yarrow, oregano and rosemary oils were evaluated against the brown-banded cockroachSupella longipalpa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation was done against the 3rdand 4thinstar nymphs using three bioassay methods; continuous contact toxicity, fumigant toxicity and repellent activity. The study was done in the laboratory of medical entomology, during April 2012 to September 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mortality rates by the lowest concentration (2.5%) of rosemary, oregano, yarrow, eucalyptus and mint oils were 100%, 62.2%, 45 %, 36.2% and 5.2% at 24 h after exposure respectively. Rosemary oil was determined as the most toxic oil because of 100 % mortality rate at the concentration range of 2.5% to 30%. The lowest fumigation effect using 50 μl/L air was recorded from mint oil with 97.2 % mortality after 24 h, while the other oils caused 100% mortality. The most repel activity was related to oregano oil which showed 96.5-99.1% repellency at the concentration range of 2.5-30% with a residual effect lasting at least a week after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oregano oil could be used as a potential repellent againstS. longipalpa. Also, all five essential oils could be used as the safe compounds for surface treating or fumigation in cockroach control programs while rosmary and oregano oils exhibited the most toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharififard
authors.affiliation: Health Center of Khuzestan Province, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Safdari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine and Natural Product Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siahpoush
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kassiri
keywords: Essential oil; Mechnical vector; Supella longipalpa