Feeding Deterrence of Common Spices against Helicoverpa armigera Larvae

Abstract

Edible spices with strong smells or heavy tastes may be a promising resource of feeding deterrents. We compared the feeding deterrence of the ethanol extracts of 21 common spices against the larvae of a generalist pest species, Helicoverpa armigera, using a multiple-choice leaf disc bioassay. The results show that Zanthoxylum bungeanum extract (as a reference) always evoked significant feeding deterrence, while Piper nigrum (both black pepper and white pepper), Piper longum, and Angelica dahurica evoked the strongest and equivalent feeding deterrence. The potent feeding deterrent activity of Piper species may be a common characteristic at genus level.