Separate and Combined Effects of Mentha piperata and Mentha pulegium Essential Oils and a Pathogenic Fungus Lecanicillium muscarium Against Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae).
In the present study, the toxicity of essential oils of Mentha piperata L. and Mentha pulegium L. and pathogenicity of Lecanicillium muscarium (Zare & Gams) were studied in the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. Analyses of the essential oils by GC-MS indicated limonene (27.28%), menthol (24.71%), menthone (14.01%), and carvol (8.46%) in the M. piperata essential oil and pulegone (73.44%), piperitenone (5.49%), decane (4.99%), and limonene (3.07%) in the essential oil of M. pulegium as the main components. Both essential oils and the pathogenic fungus had useful toxicity against A. gossypii. Probit analysis indicated LC50 values (lethal concentrations to kill 50% of population; 95% confidence limits in parentheses) of M. piperata and M. pulegium essential oils as 15.25 (12.25-19.56) and 23.13 (19.27-28.42) µl/liter air, respectively. Susceptibility to the pathogenic fungus increased with exposure time. Aphid mortality also increased when the essential oils were combined with L. muscarium, although the phenomena was additive rather than synergistic. Mycelial growth inhibition of L. muscarium exposed to the essential oils was also very low. Based on our results, M. piperata and M. pulegium essential oils and the pathogenic fungus L. muscarium have some potential for management of A. gossypii.
Moghan College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran ( ebadollahi@uma.ac.ir ).|Corresponding author, e-mail: ebadollahi@uma.ac.ir.
Asgar
A
Ebadollahi
Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran (mdavari@uma.ac.ir; ramjou@uma.ac.ir; b_naseri@uma.ac.ir).
Mahdi
M
Davari
Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran (mdavari@uma.ac.ir; ramjou@uma.ac.ir; b_naseri@uma.ac.ir).
Jabrael
J
Razmjou
Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran (mdavari@uma.ac.ir; ramjou@uma.ac.ir; b_naseri@uma.ac.ir).
Bahram
B
Naseri
D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000502:physiology*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D036142:Mentha piperita / Q000737:chemistry; D031335:Mentha pulegium / Q000737:chemistry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological
D007306:Insecticides; D009822:Oils, Volatile
Aphis gossypii; Lecanicillium muscarium; chemical composition; essential oil; toxicity