Characterization and insecticide activit y of essential oil of zingiber officinale roscoe - zingiberaceae on duponchelia fovealis zeller, 1847 (lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

The activity of ginger essential oil, Zingiber officinale Roscoe - Zingiberaceae, on eggs and caterpillars of Duponchelia fovealis Zeller, 1847 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was evaluated. Oil was produced by hydrodistillation with Clevenger and was characterized by (CG-DIC and CG-EM). For biological tests, an aerograph was employed for spraying a solution of essential oil at 2% concentration (m/v-1) on insects and the effect of eggs by immersion was evaluated. Solvent used for the preparation of solutions of essential oils consisted of water solution with 0.05% (m/v-1) Tween 80 and 2% (m/v-1) acetone and negative control, insecticide Clorfenapir as positive control. Main compounds in ginger essential oil were a-zingiberene (17.21%), geranial (16.46%), camphene (10.19%). Estimated rates for lethal concentrations (CL50 and CL90) for eggs were 0.25 and 0.54% respectively, and 0.61 and 1.35% for first stage caterpillars, respectively. The above proved potential of ginger essential oil on insect mortality.