Larvicidal Activity of Selected Xerophytic Plants Against Culex pipiens and Aedes caspius (Diptera: Culicidae)
Journal Article
Publication Online URL:
Magazine \ Newspaper:
Pakistan J. Zool.
Issue Number:
1
Volume Number:
45
Pages:
241-246
Publication Abstract:
Methanol extracts of different plants namely, Trichodesma africanum (Boraginaceae), Cleome rupicola(Capparceae) and Ochradenus baccatus(Resedaceae), were tested for larvicidal activity against 4th instar larvae of Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens mosquitoes. All plant extracts tested against Ae. caspius showed 100% mortality at 10µg/ml except the stem of O. baccatus which showed 90% mortality. However, most of the plant extracts tested against Cx. pipiensshowed more than 50% mortalityat 10µg/ml. Ae.caspiusreported lower LD50 than Cx. pipiens. The LD50 of the extracts tested ranged between 5.3-0.99. The lowest LD50 calculated against Ae.caspius
was 1.2±0.06 and 0.99±0.16 µg/ml for the stem of T. africanum and C. rupicola, respectively. In conclusion, we have documented promising larvicidal potential of xerophytic plants, which could be considered as a potentiallyalternative source for developing novel larvicides to be used in controlling vectors of mosquito-borne diseases.