Insecticidal Activity of Crude Seed Extracts of Annona spp., Lansium domesticum and Sandoricum koetjape Against Lepidopteran Larvae

Abstract

Crude ethanolic seed extracts of Annona muricata, A. squamosa (Annonaceae), Lansium domesticum and Sandoricum koetjape (Meliaceae) collected from different locations and years in Maluku, Indonesia, were screened for inhibition of larval growth against the polyphagous lepidopteran Spodoptera litura (Noctuidae). Extracts of A. squamosa were significantly more active (20-fold) than those of A. muricata. A. squamosa collected from Namlea yielded the extracts with the greatest inhibitory activity. There were significant differences among locations for both A. squamosa and A. muricata but not for L. domesticum and S. koetjape. Extracts of A. squamosa, collected from Namlea, inhibited larval growth in a dose-dependent manner, with a dietary EC 50 (effective concentration to inhibit growth by 50% relative to controls) of 191.7 ppm fresh weight. Extracts of A. squamosa collected from individual trees in Namlea also varied in growth inhibitory effect against S. litura and Trichoplusia ni larvae. This species is a candidate for development of a botanical insecticide for local use in Indonesia.