The Potency of Essential Oils in Combating Stored-Product Pests: From Nature to Nemesis
2025
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos | Nikoleta Eleftheriadou | Constantin S. Filintas | Maria C. Boukouvala | Demeter Lorentha S. Gidari | Anna Skourti | Dionysios Ntinokas | Marta Ferrati | Eleonora Spinozzi | Riccardo Petrelli | Filippo Maggi
<i>Sitophilus oryzae</i>, <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>, <i>Tribolium confusum</i>, <i>Oryzaephilus surinamensis</i>, <i>Rhyzopertha dominica</i>, <i>Tenebrio molitor</i>, <i>Trogoderma granarium</i>, <i>Acarus siro</i>, and <i>Alphitobius diaperinus</i> represent significant arthropod stored-product pests worldwide. To combat these noxious arthropods, the current study examines the pesticidal effect of essential oils (EOs) derived from four aromatic plants, i.e., <i>Illicium verum</i> Hook. F., <i>Citrus reticulata</i> Blanco, <i>Monodora myristica</i> (Gaertn.) Dunal, and <i>Xylopia aethiopica</i> (Dunal) A. Rich. Considering the challenge of pesticide resistance, the current study focuses on assessing the efficacy of these EOs as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional synthetic insecticides. Two EO concentrations (500 and 1000 µL/kg wheat) were applied to different life stages of these pests in the bioassays. Mortality rates were monitored over several days under controlled environmental conditions. The findings demonstrated that <i>C. reticulata</i> and <i>I. verum</i> EOs had elevated insecticidal effects, especially against larval stages, resulting in 100% mortality in several species. On the contrary, <i>M. myristica</i> and <i>X. aethiopica</i> EOs showed less overall efficacy despite their potency against some pests. Both <i>I. verum</i> and <i>C. reticulata</i> EOs outperformed the positive control, pirimiphos-methyl, in several assays. The results of the current study highlight the potential of several EOs as effective alternatives in reducing synthetic pesticide use for integrated pest control management.
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