Toxicity of Some Extracts of Common Plants Towards Three Species of Pheidole Ants Under Laboratory Conditions | ||||
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology | ||||
Article 18, Volume 13, Issue 1, March 2020, Page 185-194 PDF (439.16 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/eajbsa.2020.79872 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Asmaa Saber Ali1; Mahmoud Fadl Ali2 | ||||
1Analysis Laboratory, Minia Health Administration, Ministry of Health, El-Minia, Egypt | ||||
2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, El-Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt | ||||
Abstract | ||||
The toxicity of some common plant extracts towards workers of three species of Pheidole ants was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Methanolic extracts of nine plants indigenous in Egypt, were examined for their potential use as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides. Extracts of the tubers of Allium sativum L., the seeds of Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L and Nigella sativa L., flowers of Calndula officinalis L., and leaves of Mentha viridis L., Rosamarinus officinalis L and Eucalyptus citriodora Hook were tested in this way. Bioassays were performed on mature workers of three species of Pheidole ants; P. jordanica (Saulcy), P. laticeps (Mayr) and P. sinatica (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) also common in Egypt. All crude methanolic plant extracts exerted toxic effects on workers of the three Pheidole species. The crude methanolic extract of A. sativum was the most effective, as indicated by the highest percentage mortality of ant workers, followed by extracts of T. foenum-graecum, while crude extract of E. citriodora, showed the least activity. The results indicate the potential use of some of these plant extracts as a source of safe alternatives to insecticides. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Pheidole ants; plant extract toxicity; LC50; LC90 | ||||
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