Evaluation of wing morphology changes in Drosophila melanogaster treated with Pseudotsuga menziesii (Pinaceae) essential oil

The assessment of the toxicity of essential oils (EOs) from conifer species in pest insects has recently gained importance. Fumigant, deterrent, repellent and larvicidal activities of EOs are the most evaluated in insects while studies on EOs-induced changes in wing morphology are rare. This study deals with evaluation of EOs derived from Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (PMEO) influence on wing morphology changes in the insect model Drosophila melanogaster. After treatment at the larval stage with 3% of PMEO, and finishing the development, wings were analyzed using geometric morphometrics. The results suggest that PMEO induced significant changes in wing morphology, particularly with moderate effects in wing shape. The correlation of the obtained results with available literature on moderate influence on developmental time and weak larvicidal activity in Drosophila, as well as chemical composition of PMEO was discussed. We believe that this finding would significantly contribute to overall knowledge of PMEO bioactivity.