Deleterious Activity of Natural Products on Postures of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Wagner S. Tavaresa, Ivan Cruzb, Felipe G. Fonsecac, Natalia L. Gouveiad, José E. Serrãoe, and José C. Zanunciof,* a Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil b Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rodovia MG 424, Km 65, Caixa Postal 151, 35701-970, Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil c Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil d Instituto Luterano de Ensino Superior de Itumbiara, Avenida Beira Rio, nº 1001, Bairro Nova Aurora, 75523-200, Itumbiara, Goiás State, Brazil e Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil f Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Fax: +55-31-38 99-25 37. E-mail: [email protected] * Author for correspondence and reprint requests Z. Naturforsch. 65 c, 412 – 418 (2010); received November 19, 2009/January 8, 2010 The control of Lepidoptera pests should be carried out before hatching of their caterpil- lars to avoid damage to the crops. The aim of this work was to assess the activity of neem (trade name: Natuneem®, producer: Base Fértil, Chapadão do Sul, Brazil) and pyroligneous extracts (trade name: Biopirol 7M®, producer: Biocarbo, Itabirito, Brazil) at 10 mL/L (1%) and 20 mL/L (2%) contents on egg masses of different ages of Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and of Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at Em- brapa Corn and Sorghum in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The tests took place in an unbiased casualized design with 12 treatments and four replications. The insecticides were diluted in water, and 0.04 mL of the solution was applied to recently laid and one- and two-day-old eggs of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis. Caterpillars hatching from recently laid egg masses of S. frugiperda was lower with 2% pyroligneous extract [(0.02 ± 0.00)%]. Re- cently laid eggs and one- or two-day-old eggs of D. saccharalis presented lower caterpillar hatching with 1% neem extract [(0.00 ± 0.00)%, (0.00 ± 0.00)%, and (1.00 ± 0.01)%] and 2% neem extract [(0.00 ± 0.00)%], compared to 1% pyroligneous extract [(27.30 ± 3.22)%, (28.40 ± 3.32)%, and (37.80 ± 4.14)%] and 2% pyroligneous extract [(42.20 ± 4.49)%, (48.70 ± 4.97)%, and (56.60 ± 5.52)%], respectively. Neem and pyroligneous extracts had impact on hatching of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis caterpillars. Key words: Lepidoptera, Neem, Pyroligneous Extract Introduction 2001; Silva et al., 2009). For these reasons, the use of less toxic products, such as neem, pyroligne- Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: ous, and Asteraceae extracts is important in ag- Noctuidae) and Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidop- ricultural areas (Charleston et al., 2005; Habluet- tera: Pyralidae) are important pests and damage zel et al., 2007; Tavares et al., 2009). The effect of the aerial parts of plants such as corn (Moré et al., insecticides on adults, pupae, and caterpillars of 2002; Matos Neto et al., 2004; Clark et al., 2007). Lepidoptera has been studied (Pereira et al., 2002; The control of these species is carried out in the Pineda et al., 2009; Senthil-Nathan et al., 2009), fi rst stages of their culture with synthetic insecti- but few studies have shown the impact of these cides that increase environmental risks, produc- products on eggs of insects with different ages. tion costs and the dependence upon synthetic in- The neem plant, Azadirachta indica A. Juss. secticides, intoxication in operators and residues (Meliaceae) originated from Asia, is cultivated in food (Zanuncio et al., 1998; Rodriguez et al., in several countries of America, Africa, and Aus- 0939 – 5075/2010/0500 – 0412 $ 06.00 © 2010 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, Tübingen · http://www.znaturforsch.com · D W. S. Tavares et al. · Activity of Natural Products on Postures of Lepidoptera 413 tralia and is one of the most important plants Table I. Active ingredient (a.i.), content of active ingre- with insecticide activity and accentuated action dient in the formula, content of the insecticide solution (i.s.), producer (Pr), town (To) and Country (Co) of the against pests such as S. frugiperda (Lima et al., neem oil (Natunnem®) and pyroligneous extract (Bio- 2008; Santiago et al., 2008) and mites (Mourão et pirol 7M®). al., 2004a). Extracts from seeds of A. indica are Parameter Natuneem® Biopirol 7M® used as insecticide in water-based and alcoholic solutions (Charbonneau et al., 2007). Azadirach- Common name Neem oil Pyroligneous extract a tin is the main insecticide compound of this plant, a.i. Azadirachtin n.i. Content a.i. 0.15 n.i.a with high concentration in its fruit followed by (mL/L) its peel and leaves, but the content of said com- i.s. (%) 1.0 or 2.0 1.0 or 2.0 pound in the leaves varies according to the period Pr Base Fértil Biocarbo of the year (Bruce et al., 2004; Medina et al., 2004; To Chapadão do Sul Itabirito Mourão et al., 2004b). Co Brazil Brazil The pyroligneous extract is obtained by con- a densation of the smoke during wood carboniza- n.i., not informed by the manufacturers. tion (Silva and Zanetti, 2007), and it can present insecticide properties (Silva et al., 2005; Azevedo The neem was chosen in the form of oil be- et al., 2007). It is mainly produced from Eucalyp- cause it is found more easily for sale. However, in tus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden, Piptadenia pereg- farms with neem plants, the water-based extract rina (L.) Benth., Piptadenia gonoacantha (Mart.) of leaves may be used, and with more advantages Macbr. or Calycophyllum sprussiana Benth. than the oil extracted from the seeds. The main (Alves et al., 2007). problem using seeds is the low production in The aim of the present work was to assess some regions, as well as the oil extracting proc- the harmful effects of the neem and pyroligne- ess, which demands presses and special processes, ous extracts on egg masses of S. frugiperda and making its use diffi cult. On the other hand, the D. saccharalis of different ages in order to obtain use of leaves when preparing the extract presents products with less environmental impacts, and to the advantage of its abundant supply in tropical produce a higher rate of insect mortality. conditions, as well as its easy preparation, making its use feasible, mainly in small rural properties Material and Methods (Schmutterer, 1990). Insects and insecticides Experimental The experiments were carried out at (25 ± 1) °C, a 12-h photoperiod and (70 ± 10)% relative Groups of pieces of paper used for oviposition humidity at the Laboratory of Insect Rearing and with recently laid or one- or two-day-old eggs (LACRI) of the Brazilian Agricultural Research of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis were cut, and Company (Embrapa Corn and Sorghum) in the 20 eggs per group were left on them. Each group Municipality of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, was put into tubes individually (2 cm in diame- Brazil. ter × 10 cm in height). The neem and pyroligne- Spodoptera frugiperda and Diatraea sacchara- ous extracts were diluted in water [10 mL/L (1%) lis were reared in the laboratory with an artifi cial or 20 mL/L (2%)], and 0.04 mL of each solution diet (Freitas et al., 2007; Tavares et al., 2009). of these products were applied to each group of Emulsifi ed neem oil (trade name: Natuneem®, eggs. The probes were left for 30 min at room producer: Base Fértil, Chapadão do Sul, Brazil) temperature in order to dry. Hence they were and pyroligneous extract (trade name: Biopirol sealed with PVC fi lm. 7M®, producer: Biocarbo, Itabirito, Brazil) (Table The hatching of caterpillars from groups of eggs I) were diluted in water (10 mL/L or 20 mL/L) of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis was assessed 5 and applied to recently laid eggs or to one- and and 8 d after application of the neem and pyrolig- two-day-old eggs of S. frugiperda and of D. sac- neous extracts, respectively. This period is enough charalis. The control had only water, and it was for hatching of the insects to occur under normal applied with the same volume as in the insecti- laboratory conditions (Ng et al., 1993; Tavares et cidal treatments. al., 2009). 414 W. S. Tavares et al. · Activity of Natural Products on Postures of Lepidoptera The tests took place in a completely casualized neous extract was lower than that from one-day- design with 12 treatments and four replications. old (25.00%) or two- day-old (45.00%) eggs of S. Data regarding hatching of S. frugiperda and D. frugiperda (Table III). saccharalis were submitted to the variance analy- The hatching of caterpillars from recently laid sis, and the averages were compared with the eggs (0.00%), and one- (0.00%) or two-day-old Tukey test (P < 0.05) using the computer program (1.00%) eggs of D. saccharalis was similar with MSTAT-C, version 2.1 (Russel, 1989). 1% neem extract (Table IV). These values were also similar to those with 2% neem extract (re- cently laid eggs, 0.00%, and those being one day Results of age, 0.00%, or two days of age, 0.00%, respec- tively) (Table IV). With the 1% neem extract the hatching of cat- The hatching of caterpillars from two-day-old erpillars from recently laid eggs (7.50%) was low- eggs of D.