Oviposition deterrence and repellent activities of selected essential oils against Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): laboratory and greenhouse investigations

Abstract Tuta absoluta , an invasive pinworm characterized by high reproductive potential and adaptation to different agroecological conditions, cause serious damage to tomato crops. Chemical control with synthetic insecticides is widely used to control this pest, although pesticides exhibit side effects on non-target organisms and negatively impact the environment, with the occurrence of resistance to some active substances in the target pest. The use of essential oils (EOs) from aromatic or officinal plants could represent an environmentally safe control method, alternative to synthetic insecticide application. In this work we investigated the effect of EOs from Spanish oregano, laurel, basil, garlic, peppermint, cypress, and eucalyptus EOs on T. absoluta oviposition deterrence and larval repellency. Results showed a remarkable oviposition deterrence using laurel, Spanish oregano, basil, and garlic EOs in both laboratory and greenhouse experiments. In no-choice repellence tests carried 1, 2, 6, and 22 h after treatment application, peppermint and Spanish oregano EOs showed the most lasting effects while cypress and eucalyptus EOs were not effective after 6 and 22 h, respectively. In choice tests, at either 5 or 22 h after treatment application, low preference for the test over control by larvae was observed in all treatments, except for basil EO. The most promising effects were observed in Spanish oregano and laurel treatments where no larvae were detected. Repellent effectiveness of EOs does not seem to be influenced when larvae did not get a chance to do a choice between treated and untreated leaves. This study highlights the effectiveness of EOs of aromatic or officinal plants as an alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of T. absoluta .