ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PFLANZENKRANKHEITEN UND PFLANZENSCHUTZ-JOURNAL OF PLANT DISEASES AND PROTECTION, cilt.112, sa.6, ss.602-611, 2005 (SCI-Expanded)
Six major monoterpenoid constituents of essential oils from aromatic plants grown in Turkey namely, carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, menthol, gamma-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol and thymol were tested for their fumigant activity against adults and eggs of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum du Val and larvae and eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuebniella Zeller. Doses between 5.8-184.8 mg/l air and exposure periods of 24-96 h were used. All six constituents showed fumigant activity in varying degrees against all tested insect species and their stages. The most active constituent was carvacrol and achieved > 90 % mortality against all test insects at 46.2 mg/l air and an exposure of 24-96 h except for E kuehniella larvae which required a higher dose, 184.8 mg/l. Although higher doses of 46.2-184.8 mg/l were necessary, gamma-terpinene also caused 99% mortality in all test insects after 26.4-57.5 h. This was followed by thymol and terpinen-4-ol which achieved the same mortality against only one insect species and stage in a dose range of 46.2-184.8 mg/l. The constituents 1,8-cineole and menthol achieved less than 99 % mortality against any insect species tested at doses and exposure periods used. The most tolerant insect stage was E. kuehniella larva and at least a dose of 184.8 mg/l air was needed for 99% mortality with the monoterpenoids tested.