LARVICIDAL ACTIVITY OF EPALTES PYGMAEA (DC) WHOLE PLANT EXTRACTS AGAINST CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS SAY, AEDES AEGYPTI L. AND ANOPHELES STEPHENSI LISTON LARVAE

摘要

In the present study, the larvicidal activity of successive n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Epaltes pygmaea DC (Family: Asteraceae) whole plant was carried out against three mosquito species namely Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti L. and Anopheles stephensi. The crude whole plant was successively extracted with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The larvicidal activity was studied at 62.5 ppm, 125 ppm, 250 ppm, and 500 ppm concentrations against the late third instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus, A. aegypti and A. stephensi. Results showed that the ethyl acetate extract of E. pygmaea was the most effective against tested mosquito larvae. The median lethal concentration (LCsub50/sub) values of ethyl acetate extract were calculated as 35.79 ppm, 62.37 ppm and 29.94 ppm for C. quinquefasciatus, A. aegypti and A. stephensi, respectively. The results suggested that ethyl acetate extract of E. pygmaea could be used to control C. quinquefasciatus, A. aegypti and A. stephensi.