Abstract

The control of mosquitoes is an important public health concern around the world. The activity of petroleum ether extracts of Dodonaea viscose, Lantana camara and Ruta chaliphenses have been investigated towards larval development of Aedes aegypti. The plant extracts exhibits variable biological activity against Ae. aegypti. The greatest effect was observed with Dodonaea viscose and Lantana camara. They showed acute LC₅₀ (2days) of 126.2, 136.9 and chronic LC₅₀ (10 days) of 64.6 and 68.5 ppm, respectively. Larvae suffered chronic toxicities leading to 97.8% mortality using Dodonaea viscose and 95.6% using Lantana camara. Egg hatchability was significantly reduced in Dodonaea viscose and Lantana camara concentrations. All extracts concentrations of Dodonaea viscose and Lantana camara as well as higher extract concentration of Ruta chaliphenses caused significant high hindrance of subsequent larval development and consequently reduced both pupation and adult mergence. Drastic retardation of development was shown using Dodonaea viscose extracts (17.3, 7.4%) and Lantana camara extracts (19.3, 9.0%) from larval stage managed to pupal and adult stages, when reared in very low concentration (100 ppm) of the extracts. Ruta chaliphense was only more effective at higher concentrations. Hence, application of these extracts to Ae. aegypti mosquito breeding sites can be used as an innovative valuable alternative to the existing synthetic pesticides for the control of Ae. aegypti.

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