Antifeedant and insecticidal effects of some plant extracts on the cabbage webworm, Crocidolomia binotalis

Extracts of five plants, namely Argemone mexicana, Artemisia absinthium, Cassia occidentalis, Cymbopogon citratus and Siegesbeckia orientalis were tested for their antifeedant and insecticidal effects on third-instar larvae of the cabbage webworm, Crocidolomia binotalis, which is presently one of the most important pests of cruciferous crops in Mauritius. All the five plant species investigated showed significant antifeedant properties, with A. mexicana showing the highest control potential of the five plant species studied against C. binotalis. Les effets antifeedant et insecticides de cinq plantes, a savoir de Argemone mexicana, Artemisia absinthium, Cassia occidentalis, Cymbopogon citratus et Siegesbeckia orientalis furent teste sur la troisieme instar de larvae de Crocidolomia binotalis, qui represente de nos jours un des plus grand fleau de nos plantes cruciferes a Maurice. Lors cette etudes, on a detecte des proprietes antifeedant importantes chez les cinq plantes examines, plus particulierement chez le Argemone mexicana qui a temoigne d'une plus grande activite. Les resultats de cette etude demontrent bien le potential inestimable des proprietes insecticides de ces cinq plantes sur le C. binotalis.