Abstract

Calotropis procera belonging to family Asclepiadaceae, is one of the important medicinal plants that is being used since years to treat many ailments. It is used either alone or with other medicines to treat common diseases such as fever, rheumatism, indigestion, cough, cold, eczema, asthma, elephantiasis, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. According to ayurveda, dried whole plant is a good tonic, expectorant, depurative and anthelmintic. In the present study, different extractives of leaves of C. procera have been screened for their larvicidal activities against important defoliators (Clostera cupreata) of Poplar and (Plecoptera reflexa) of Shisham. The 3rd instar larvae of C. cupreata and P. reflexa were exposed to a wide range of concentrations (0.625 to 2.00%) of LC₅₀ value of each extract along with their control. The phytochemical analysis of these extracts suggested the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, proteins, terpenoids, sterols and flavonoids. The data indicate that leaf extracts ofC. procera may be utilized as the probable candidates for the development of bioinsecticides to control the population of Poplar and Shisham defoliators as safer and economic alternatives to the synthetic insecticides.

Key words: Calotropis procera, Clostera cupreata, Plecoptera reflexa, Asclepiadaceae,Poplar, Shisham, larvicidal, defoliators, phytochemicals.