Effect of some essential oils on Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (coleoptera: bruchidae) and Tetranychus urticae koch, (acari: tetranychidae) adults

In search of new and safe pesticides, the toxicity of volatile oils obtained from three plant species against Acanthoscelides obtectus and Tetranychus urticae adults was studied. The essential oils of peppermint (Mentha piperita L), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L) showed higher toxicity on mites than on weevils. The peppermint and rosemary essential oils demonstrated efficacy against A. obtectus in both fumigant and acute contact toxicity tests. The peppermint and coriander essential oils had the most pronounced fumigant toxicity to mites, with LT50 of 2.5 and 3.7 h, respectively, at 5 μg/cm³ air and are the most promising sources of natural substances with acaricidal properties.