Bioefficacy of essential oils of medicinal plants against housefly, Musca domestica L

The housefly Musca domestica L. is recognized as a public health pest causing a serious threat to human and livestock by vectoring many infectious diseases. Chemical control method commonly used against this pest, though effective, has some major disadvantages, such as development of insect resistance and bioaccumulation. Pest management strategies for populations of houseflies are needed. Presently, bioinsecticides, especially those derived from plant origin, have been increasingly evaluated in controlling insects of medical importance. In order to search for effective and ecofriendly control agents, the essential oils of Mentha piperita, Zingiber officinalis, Emblica officinalis, and Cinnamomum verum were evaluated for their larvicidal, attractant/repellent, and oviposition attractant/deterrent activity against M. domestica. The highest larvicidal activity, i.e., C50 = 104 ppm was shown by M. piperita. This oil also exhibited 96.8 % repellency at the concentration of 1 %. The highest oviposition deterrence activity of 98.1 % was also exhibited by M. piperita oil at the concentration of 1 %. Among the remaining plants, the essential oil of Z. officinalis exhibited significant bioactivities against M. domestica with larvicidal activity, i.e., lethal concentration (LC)50 = 137 ppm, repellency of 84.9 and 98.1 % oviposition deterrence both at 1 % concentration. The other two plant oils, viz., C. verum and E. officinalis, showed relatively moderate bioefficacy with larvicidal activity, i.e., LC50 = 159 and 259 ppm, repellency of 77.9 and 63.0 % while oviposition deterrence of 60.0 and 42.6 %, respectively. The result revealed that the essential oils of M. piperita have control potential against M. domestica and should be further explored as a component of integrated vector management program.