Fumigant Toxicity of Bunium persicum Boiss. (Umbelliferae) and Elletaria cardamomum Maton. (Zingiberaceae) oils against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

The fumigant toxicities of the essential oils from two spices including Black cumin (Bunium persicum Boiss.) and Cardamom (Elletaria cardamomum Maton.) were examined on the adults of the rust-red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.). The oils were extracted from the dried fruits of the plants by hydro-distillation using a Clevenger apparatus. The results indicated that both essential oils had high fumigant activity against adult beetles. The mortality of 1-7-day-old adults of both sexes progressively increased as exposure time and/ or concentration increased. The males were more sensitive than the females to the both oil vapors. The beetles were more sensitive to the oil vapor of B. persicum than that of E. cardamomum. The 24-h median lethal concentrations (LC50) of B. persicum oil were 7.59 and 9.90 µlL-1 and those of E. cardamomum oil were 22.91 and 30.63 µlL-1 against males and females, respectively. The results suggested that the essential oils of B. persicum and E. cardamomum are sources of biologically active vapor that can be used for protecting stored grain against infestation of the rust-red flour beetle.