Abstract

Drimys winteri (Magnoliids: Winteraceae), a native Chilean species, has potential for use as a botanical insecticide. This species contains chemicals with biological activity, such as isoprenoids and polyphenols. In this study, the effects of the essential oil and hydrolate of D. winteri on adults of Aegorhinus superciliosus were determined in the laboratory. This species is one of the most important pests associated with the cultivation of blueberries in Chile. The insecticidal effect of both distillates was determined for five concentrations of the essential oil and hydrolate of D. winteri, with ten replicates, in a completely random bioassay. The effects of these preparations on the egglaying, hatching and feeding activity of A. superciliosus were also evaluated. The essential oil produced 100% mortality at the highest concentration (40% v/v), whereas the greatest effect of the hydrolate was 12% at 100% v/v. Ovicidal and anti-feeding effects were found for both distillates. In addition, a preliminary analysis was performed with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. This analysis detected the presence of polyphenolic secondary metabolites.