INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF Inula viscosa L. (Asteraceae) ESSENTIAL OILS ON ADULTS OF Bactrocera oleae Gmel (Diptera Tephritidae)

The search for effective methods of biological control against pests has become a preoccupation of ecologists since the appearance of many negative effects that occurred following the excessive use of chemical insecticides. The extracts of plant origin, such as essential oils, are increasingly used as alternatives to these chemicals.

The aim of this study is to test the sensitivity of Bactrocera oleae Gmel (Diptera - Tephritidae) adults treated with essential oils of Inula viscosa L. (=Dittrichia viscosa) (Asteraceae) from the region of Sidi Bel Abbes (North West Algeria).

The essential oils have been obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts. Toxicity tests were conducted in laboratory conditions in Petri boxes. The Bactrocera oleae adults were exposed to different concentrations of the essential oils of our plant. Tests showed that those volatile essences of I. viscosa have remarkable insecticidal properties. They manifest toxicity by contact after the first day of exposure to the four concentrations tested and induce 100% of adult mortality at a concentration of 8 μl / ml after 96 hours of exposure. No mortality was recorded in the control boxes treated solely with acetone.

Given the demonstrated efficacy of essential oils from Inula viscosa L. against the olive fly, this oil can be used as a means to combat against certain insect species.