Sub-lethal Activity of Plant Volatile Essential Oils in Management of Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Stored food faces severe damage due to infestation by insects. The essential oils extracted from leaves of Mentha arvensis and peels of Citrus reticulata by hydrodistillation method were screened as fumigant for chronic activity against red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in laboratory assay. Both essential oils showed chronic activity in a dose dependent manner. Fumigation with sub-lethal concentration of essential oils significantly (p < 0.01) reduced hatchability of adults, inhibited pupation and adult emergence in larvae and also reduced percent grain infestation against T. castaneum in comparison to control groups. Fumigation of insect with sub-lethal concentration of both essential oils inhibited Acetylcholinesterase activity. Reduction in AChE activity was 67.50 and 61.25 % of the control, after 24 h of fumigation with sub-lethal concentration of both essential oils. From this study, it is concluded that these essential oils have potential for application in Insect Pest Management programs for stored-grain insect pests by chronic exposure because of their fumigant action.