Abstract

Cymbopogon citratus oil is used in folk medicine asrepellent and insecticide against insects. This study evaluated the insecticidal activity of C. citrates oil extracted from Brazil and Cuba and its main component citral as insecticides against Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya putoria and Lucilia cuprina. Variables monitored were:duration of post embryonic development, larval weight (mg), sex ratio, mortality index and percentage of morphological deformities. The essential oils were dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and tested at concentrations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, andcitral was diluted in DMSO yielding a concentration of 17.5 µg/µL.Substances were applied (1µL on the newly-hatched larvae. Results showed that both oils and citral had toxic effects on post-embryonic development of all tested blowflies. While the mortality for C. megacephala reaches 80% of the flies treated with essential oil, and values under 50% for the LC₅₀; C. putoria has the highest ratio of deformities, once it becomes adult with values over 85%. The behavior for C. citrates essential oils and citral, changes from one variable to another, but in general sense, all are toxic to flies. Previous observations point out this essential oil as a potential alternative in those blowflies control.

Key words: Arthropod, Calliphoridae, biopesticides, lemongrass, essential oil.