Toxicities of monoterpenes against housefly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae)

Abstract

The development of natural plant extracts and essential oils will assist to decrease the negative effects of synthetic chemicals. Many plant extracts and essential oils contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and aliphatic compounds. In the present study, the fumigation activity of 42 pure monoterpenes against housefly, Musca domestica, was evaluated. Results from fumigation tests revealed that ρ-cymene, terpinolene, (±)-menthol, thymol, carvacrol, (-)-carvone, (+)-camphor, (+)-pulegone, (-)-menthone, citral, (±)-citronellal, cuminaldehyde, and citronellyl acetate exhibited strong fumigation activity against M. domestica. Specifically, the compounds of (+)-pulegone, cuminaldehyde, citral, and ρ-cymene had a highest toxicity toward M. domestica with LC₅₀ values of 0.26, 0.60, 0.64, and 0.77 μl/L, respectively. The present results indicated that (+)-pulegone, cuminaldehyde, citral, and ρ-cymene are promising toxicants against M. domestica and could be useful in the search for new natural insecticides.

Keywords: (+)-Pulegone; Cuminaldehyde; Fumigant; Monoterpenes; Musca domestica.