Bioacaricidal potential of the essential oils and aqueous extracts of Pistacia lentiscus and Mentha piperita against phytophagous mites
2026 - Volume: 66 Issue: Suppl pages: 85
https://doi.org/10.24349/opgo-f11t
ICA 2026 - XVII International Congress of Acarology, 20-24 July 2026, Montpellier
Keywords
Tetranychus urticae Koch
Essential oils
Aqueous extracts
Mentha piperaita
Pistacia lentiscus
Abstract
In this study, the acaricidal activity of the essential oils of Pistacia lentiscus and Mentha piperita was evaluated against the pest mite Tetranychus urticae Koch. The toxic effect was tested on adults and eggs at different doses (1, 3, 6, 8 µL) and exposure durations (1 h, 2 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h), along with the evaluation of aqueous extracts at concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 75%. The biological tests revealed remarkable efficacy, particularly for the essential oils. The essential oil of Mentha piperita showed a rapid action, causing up to 89.3% mortality in adults within the first hour and achieving almost complete ovicidal activity after 5 days (120 h). Its high toxicity is confirmed by very pronounced toxicological parameters, with an LD50 of 0.12 µL·mL?¹ and an almost immediate LT50 (˜ 0.0014 s) at the highest dose for adults, as well as an extremely low LD50 (1.7 × 10?¹³ µL·mL?¹) for eggs. The essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus also showed high efficacy, causing 97.5% adult mortality after 48 h (LD50 = 0.17 µL·mL?¹; LT50 = 0.05 h) and strong ovicidal activity (91.2%; LD50 = 1.53 µL·mL?¹). The aqueous extracts, although slower in action, also showed significant and dose-dependent biological activity. The aqueous extract of P. lentiscusstood out for its promising ovicidal activity (86.7%; LC50 = 4.57%) and an LT50 of 5.5 h, outperforming the extract of Mentha piperita in this parameter. These results, supported by robust toxicological parameters, highlight the high potential of these plant extracts in integrated pest management strategies. The essential oils of Mentha piperita and Pistacia lentiscus, as well as their aqueous extracts, therefore appear as promising natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides for controlling this major crop pest.
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