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Insecticidal activity of modified turpentine oil in Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract:

Introduction: the study of natural alternatives for vector control is of great importance due to the phenomena of resistance to synthetic insecticides found in various species of mosquitoes. Objective: to evaluate the insecticidal activity of modified turpentine oil in Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus. Methods: the larvicidal, adulticidal and development-inhibitory activity of this oil was evaluated, by standardized methodologies. The study used one strain of Culex quinquefasciatus (Regla, 2013) and another of Aedes albopictus (Fraga, 2012). Results: modified turpentine oil showed larvicidal activity for Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus, a fact evidenced by the low values of lethal concentrations that caused 90% of mortality (LC90=0.0054% and LC90=0.00115%, respectively). Evaluating the adulticidal activity, knockdown was obtained in 100% and 30 minutes after the individuals of both strains were exposed to the 60 mg/ml concentration. By exposing larvae to their respective modified turpentine oil CL90, Culex quinquefasciatus mortality in the larval stage was observed to be two times higher than in the pupal stage. During the first five days, mortality was higher in the pupa and adult stages in Aedes albopictus. However, these results differ from the Culex quinquefasciatus results for the same period. Female sex was prevalent regarding pupal mortality. Most adult mortality was observed in males, reason why a disproportion occurred concerning the survivors sex. Conclusions: the results found endorse and permit recommending modified turpentine oil as a natural insecticide for controlling Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus.