مشخصات پژوهش

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella is a serious pest of potato in the field and especially in storage. Chemical insecticides those are mostly harmful to human health, non-target organisms and environment are used by farmers conventionally in both field and storage. Botanicals such as plant extracts and essential oils may serve as proper alternative for controlling the pests. In this study, the effects of Hexane, Ethyl acetate and Acetone extracts of Ageratum houstonianum and Xanthium strumarium, were evaluated on larval life span and adult emergence as an important biological parameters of potato tuber moth. The results revealed that all six extracts derived by different solvents had adverse effects on survival of larvae and the effects were dose dependent. The larval period was increased about six days hexane extract of A. houstonianum in comparison with control. The other treatments had no significant effect on larval period. Although the life span of larval period was not affected by tested extracts but the mortality in larval stage was significant and adult emergence was affected strongly. Only 6.67, 6.67 and 26.67% of first larval instars that exposed to Hexane, Ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of A. houstonianum and 26.67, 13.33 and 20% of X. strumarium extracts reached to adult stage, respectively.