Efficacy of Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg extracts on contact mortality, repellency, oviposition deterrency and fumigant toxicity of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera:Bruchidae)

ABSTRACT

Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), a major pest of grain legumes, causes considerable losses worldwide. C. maculatus management relies on synthetic insecticides with their adverse environmental and health concerns. The current study investigated the use of Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) extracts on contact and fumigant toxicity, repellency and oviposition deterrency of C. maculatus as a management strategy. Fumigant mortality (LC₅₀) of the dry inflorescence extract of A. altilis was 126.65 µL L⁻¹ air at 53.4 h. Fruit extract gave 73.3% repellency at 1000 ppm after 24 h. Percent repellency was dose and time dependent. Green inflorescence extract of A. altilis reduced egg laying with 50% oviposition occurring after 37.78 h at 1000 ppm. We conclude that extracts of leaf, fruit, green and dried inflorescence of A. altilis displayed contact mortality, repellency, deterred oviposition and had fumigant activity toward C. maculatus.

KEYWORDS:

• Artocarpus altilis
• breadfruit
• Callosobruchus maculatus
• repellency
• contact and fumigant toxicity
• oviposition deterrency

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Departments of Chemistry and Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad for providing the necessary facilities to carry out this work and The National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago for plant identification and preparation of voucher specimen. The authors wish to thank the Departments of Chemistry and Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad for providing the necessary facilities to carry out this work and The National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago for plant identification and preparation of voucher specimen.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.