Effect of Coridothymus capitatus Essential Oil on Chrysanthemum Aphid Behaviour and Survival: Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Potential

There is a growing interest in using essential oils with phytoprotectant properties instead of synthetic pesticides to mitigate the risks of insect pesticide resistance, environmental harm, and adverse effects on non-target organisms and human health. This study focused on the effects of <i>Coridothymus capitatus</i> essential oil on host selection, settling behaviour, and survival of <i>Macrosiphoniella sanborni</i> in dual-choice and no-choice tests. The essential oil and methanol extract of <i>C. capitatus</i> were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LTQ-LC-MS Orbitrap), respectively. The antioxidant activity was also tested through the radical scavenging assay. The settling inhibitory activity in the dual-choice test increased dose-dependently from 60% to 72% for essential oil concentrations of 0.1 to 0.3% (<i>v</i>/<i>v</i>) for up to 120 min exposure, but decreased thereafter. However, under no-choice conditions, the inhibitory effect after 60 min of exposure was inversely proportional to the concentration but became proportional by the end of the experiment (72 h). After 72 h, both assays produced a mortality rate of 15% to 17%. <i>C. capitatus</i> was classified as a Carvacrol chemotype. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified in the MeOH extract, and both the extract and essential oil exhibited substantial antioxidant activity. In conclusion, our findings indicate that <i>C. capitatus</i> essential oil affects the behaviour and survival of <i>M. sanborni</i>.