Essential oils activity from plants of the Brazilian Caatinga on the vegetable leafminer

ABSTRACT Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) is a worldwide polyphagous pest for horticultural and ornamental crops, whose chemical control is the major method adopted. However, botanical insecticides in the form of essential oils (EOs) are presented as promising alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EOs from the species Croton sonderianus Muell. Arg., Croton conduplicatus Kunth., Lippia gracilis Schauer and Lippia schaueriana Mart. on the biological aspects of L. sativae adults and immature stages (larva and pupa). The results showed larval and pupal mortality after the immersion of leaves with newly hatched L. sativae larvae in EOs solution from L. gracilis and L. schaueriana leaves. The EOs from C. conduplicatus stem bark and leaf and from C. sonderianus stem bark extended the leafminer pupal stage duration, while those from C. conduplicatus leaves and C. sonderianus stem bark decreased the oviposition and feeding punctures in no-choice tests. Only C. conduplicatus confirmed the effect in the free-choice test, showing to be the most promising in the study. This way, EOs from L. gracilis and L. schaueriana leaves show an insecticide activity on L. sativae larvae, and those from C. conduplicatus leaves reduce the leafminer oviposition and feeding punctures in melon plants