Feeding and contact toxicity of selected botanicals and their mixtures against Spodoptera frugiperda

Abstract

A laboratory investigation was conducted to assess the feeding and contact toxicity of methanolic seed extracts of Khaya senegalensis, Hyptis suaveolens, Capsicum frutescens and Azadirachta indica and their mixtures (50:50), against the larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda. Extracts were tested at 2.5%, 5.0% and 10.0% (w/v), while Emamectin benzoate (5% WDG) served as the synthetic check and distilled water + 0.1 % tween 80 as the negative control. Larval mortality was monitored for seven days, and data were corrected using Abbott’s formula. Results revealed that mixture containing of H. suaveolens and A. indica consistently produced the highest mortality in both feeding and contact assays, performing comparably to the synthetic check. The findings demonstrate that these botanicals particularly combinations involving Neem, possess potent larvicidal properties and may serve as viable components of environmentally friendly integrated pest management (IPM) programs. 

Keywords: Spodoptera frugiperda, botanical extracts, feeding toxicity, contact toxicity, larval mortality, IPM