Insecticidal activity from leaves and sesquiterpene lactones of Tithonia diversifolia (Helms.) A. Gray (Asteraceae) on Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

• Published in: South African journal of botany Vol. 144; pp. 377 - 379
• Main Authors: Miranda, Maria Augusta Ferraz Machado, Matos, Andreia Pereira, Volante, Ana Carolina, Cunha, Gracielle Oliveira Sabbag, Gualtieri, Sônia Cristina Juliano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Fall armyworm; Leaf extract; Natural insecticides; Sesquiterpene lactones; Sesquiterpene lactones; Fall armyworm; Natural insecticides; Leaf extract
• ISSN: 0254-6299; 1727-9321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2021.09.002

•Insecticidal effect of Tithonia diversifolia was evaluated against the fall armyworm.•Fraction A reduced the pupal weight.•Fractions B and C increased the duration of the larval phase.•Sesquiterpene lactones reduced the larval period and pupal weight. Plant extracts can be used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of insect pests. This work aimed to evaluate the insecticidal effect of the ethyl acetate fractions and sesquiterpene lactones from Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) leaf extract against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). As a result, we found that the fraction A (20% methanol (MeOH)) at 100 ppm reduced pupal weight by 12.2% compared to the control. Fractions B (40% MeOH) and C (60% MeOH) at 100 ppm increased the duration of the larval period by 1.87 and 2.03 days, respectively. The sesquiterpene lactones tagitinin A (1), tagitinin C (2) and 1β-methoxydiversifolin (3) at 100, 50 and 10 ppm affected the larval development with reduction of the larval period and pupal weight. Neither the fractions nor the pure compounds interfered with the duration of the pupal phase, nor did they cause larval or pupal mortality.