Sublethal effects of individual and combined of Mentha pulegium essential oil and methanolic extract on life table parameters of Ommatissus lybicus

Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecosystem approach to crop production and protection that combines different management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimize the use of pesticides. Essential oils and extracts are used in the developing world for many purposes including management of agricultural insect pests. This study evaluated the individual and synergistic effects of essential oil and methanolic extract of Mentha pulegium against Ommatissus lybicus adults. The LC50 andLD50 of M. pulegium values are 9.68 μL/L air and 36.97 mg/mL, respectively. To assess the sublethal effects, adult bugs were exposed to the essential oil (LC25), methanolic extract (LD25) and their combination, and mortality of immature stages and life table parameters of the surviving O. lybicus were studied. The highest percent of egg and nymphal mortality were observed, 27.33% and 37.60% respectively, after exposure to LC25 ofM. pulegium oil. Exposure to sublethal LC25 and/or LD25 of M. pulegium negatively affected the life table of O. lybicus. All treatments significantly reduced the R0, rm, λ, and GRR while that increased T of O. lybicus and prolonged the developmental time from egg to adult. In comparison to extract treatment, R0 and rm parameters were reduced to a greater extent in insects exposed to both M. pulegium oil and extract, however, a statistically significant difference was not found when compared with essential oil treatment. According to these results, both tested essential oil and methanolic extract has potential applications for the integrated management of O. lybicus.