Abstract

Adverse effects caused by synthetic pesticides have increased interest in plant-derived insecticidal compounds, in particular essential oils, as a more compatible and ecofriendly alternative for pest control of economic importance. For this reason, the essential oil isolated from leaves and shoots ofDrimys winteri(J.R. Forster & G. Forster)-also named canelo (CEO)-was investigated for its chemical profile and insecticidal action againstAcanthoscelides obtectus(Say)-one of the most important post-harvest pests of dry beans in the world-andAegorhinus superciliosus(Guerin)-a significant pest of fruit trees in Chile. The analysis by gas chromatography, paired with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) determined 56 compounds, corresponding to 92.28% of the detected compounds. Elemol (13.54%),gamma-eudesmol (11.42%),beta-eudesmol (8.49%),alpha-eudesmol (6.39%),alpha-pinene (7.92%) and beta-pinene (5.17%) were the most abundant. Regarding the bioactivity of the CEO, the results demonstrated toxicological effects againstA. obtectus. A concentration of 158.3 mu L L(-1)had a mortality rate of 94% after 24 h exposure. The LC(50)and LC(90)values at 24 h were 60.1 and 163.0 mu L L-1. Moreover, behavioral bioassays showed a repellent effect againstA. superciliosuswith a dose of one microliter of CEO. Both sexes of the raspberry weevil stayed for very short times in the treated area with the oil (<0.8 min), showing a homogeneous repellency in the species. The overall data suggest that canelo leaves and shoots essential oil has an insecticide effect and is worth exploring to better understand the synergistic relationship between the compounds present in the essential oil.