Lippia rotundifolia Cham. (Verbenaceae family) is an aromatic species from the Brazilian Cerrado, whose oil has antimicrobial potential. We evaluated the content and chemical characterization of the essential oil of Lippia rotundifolia Cham. collected in Cerrado of the Minas Gerais, Brazil, as well as an evaluation of its larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti Linn. larvae. To achieve this goal, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. The larvae of Aedes aegypti Linn. were exposed to hydrolate and in different concentrations of essential oil (300, 250, 125, 62.5 and 31.25 µg mL-1). The essential oil presented a content of 3.09%. The chemical analysis detected 12 compounds. The major compound was myrcene (15.52%). All treatments presented larvicidal activity with strong sedative action. The lowest concentration after 24 h produced more than 80% mortality. The lethal concentration was 232 µg mL-1. The Lippia rotundifolia Cham. contains 3.09% essential oil content. Mircene, (Z)-tagetone and β-caryophyllene compounds are the chemical representatives of the species. The species has potential against mosquito larvae Aedes aegypti Linn., it can be used in the formulation of larvicidal products to control its population.

Keywords: Pedestrian tea, dengue, medicinal plants, phytochemistry, botanical larvicide