Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine acute toxicity of the essential oil derived from aerial parts of Boenninghausenia sessilicarpa Levl. (Rutaceae) against two grain storage insects, maize weevils (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.) and red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum Herbst.). Essential oil of B. sessilicarpa aerial parts was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 42 components of the essential oil were identified. The principal compounds in the essential oil were α-cadinol (11.97%), carvacrol (8.77%), germacrene D (6.17%), o-cymene(6.13%), 4-terpineol (5.71%), and α-pinene (5.53%). The essential oil exhibited strong contact toxicity against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults with LD₅₀ value of 15.25 and 6.02 µg/adult, respectively. The results indicated that the essential oil B. sessilicarpa aerial parts showed potential in terms of acute toxicity against grain storage insects.

Key words: Boenninghausenia sessilicarpa, Sitophilus zeamais, Tribolium castaneum, contact toxicity, essential oil composition.