EVALUATION OF SOME INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS AS A SOURCE OF TOXICANT, REPELLENT AND GROWTH INHIBITORS AGAINST TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE)

The efficacy of plant extracts of Amaranthus hybridus (Cholai), Calotropis procera (Ak), Salsola baryosma (Khar booti) and Cuminum cyminum (Zeera) was evaluated against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum under laboratory conditions following completely randomized design. Experiments were carried out to check toxicological, developmental inhibition and repellent effects of extracts of these plants against T. castaneum. In case of direct mortality petri dishes were used as exposure chambers. Different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of A. hybridus, C. procera, S. baryosma and C. cyminum were prepared using acetone solvent and were applied on thirty adults of T. castaneum. Mortality data was recorded after 2, 5 and 7days. Overall results show that the concentrations which were used in this experiment proved least effective regarding to their toxicological bioactivity against T. castaneum. Mortality of T. castaneum increased both increase in concentration of extracts as well as exposure time of treatments. 2.89%, 1.11%, 1.00% and 0.78% mortality of T. castaneum was observed against C. procera, S. baryosma, C. cyminum and A. hybridus respectively. The results of developmental inhibition show that highest concentration of plant extract decreased the emergence of larvae, pupae and adults and increased the duration of emergence respectively. The extract of C. cyminum shows the lowest emergence of larvae, pupae and adults and increases the duration of emergence. C. cyminum exhibited the maximum repellency (90%) followed by S. baryosma, C. procera, A. hybridus (80%, 70 % and 65% respectively).