Repellent Activity of Essential Oils and Some of Their Individual Constituents against Tribolium castaneum Herbst

A tool for integrated pest management is the use of essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts. In this study, EOs from Tagetes lucida, Lepechinia betonicifolia, Lippia alba, Cananga odorata, and Rosmarinus officinalis, species grown in Colombia, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These oils as well as several of their constituents were tested for repellent activity against Tribolium castaneum, using the area preference method. The main components (> 10%) found in EOs were methylchavicol, limonene/alpha-pinene, carvone/limonene, benzyl acetate/linalool/benzyl benzoate, and alpha-pinene, for T. lucida, L. betonicifolia, L. alba, C. odorata, and R. officinalis, respectively. All EOs were repellent, followed a dose response relationship, and had bioactivity similar to or better than that of commercial compound IR353S. EOs from C. odorata and L. alba were the most active. Compounds from EOs, such benzyl benzoate, beta-myrcene, and carvone, showed good repellent properties. In short, EOs from plants cultivated in Colombia are sources of repellents against T. castaneum.