Determining the Toxicity of Some Thyme Essential Oils Against the Pine Processionary [Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)]


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YİĞİT Ş., AKÇA İ., BAYHAN E., BAYHAN S., TEKİN F., SARUHAN İ.

Atatürk Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, vol.50, no.3, pp.226-230, 2019 (Peer-Reviewed Journal) identifier

Abstract

One of the major forest pests in Turkey, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), causes seriousdamage in pine trees. Mechanical and chemical control tactics are applied for management of this pest in forest areas where thechemical control is mostly preferred. However, due to its adverse effects of chemicals on the environment and human health,alternative control methods have gained importance. In this study, three different doses (0,1%, 0,5% and 1%) of each of fivedifferent thyme essential oils (Origanum majorona, O. multiflorum, O. saccatum, Thymus cilicus, T. spicata) were applied to thelarvae of the pine processionary in four replications. When the 1% dose of all oils were assessed, the highest mortality rate wasobserved in T. cilicus with 95%, followed by O. saccatum (90%), T. spicata and O. multiflorum (80%) and O. majorona (75%).As a result of the study, it was seen that the application of essential oils is effective even at low doses, and the effect increasesalong with the respective doses. This study revealed that thyme oil could be used as a bio insecticide in the control of T.pityocampa in forests.