The toxicity of red pine needle hydrodistillate, its constituents, and 12 structurally related compounds to third instar larvae of insecticide-susceptible Aedes aegypti and wild Aedes albopictus was examined using a direct-contact bioassay. Results were compared with those of the currently used larvicides fenthion and temephos. The red pine needle hydrodistillate constituents were identified by GC-MS and co-elution of authenticated samples following co-injection. Based on 24 h LC50 values, 3-carene (8.60–9.33 mg/L), limonene (10.34–10.77 mg/L), and thymol (10.65–11.45 mg/L) were the most toxic constituents. The moderate toxicity was produced by (1S)-(–)-α-pinene, p-cymene, geranyl acetate, myrcene, and β -caryophyllene (LC50, 27.62–38.01 and 28.61–39.52 mg/L). Overall, these compounds were less effective than either fenthion (LC50, 0.012–0.022 mg/L) or temephos (LC50, 0.010–0.015 mg/L). In the light of global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic insecticides in the agricultural environment, red pine needle hydrodistillate and the compounds described merit further study as potential larvicides for the control of mosquito populations.

The toxicity of imperatorin (1) and osthol (2) identified in Cnidium monnieri seed and four structurally related compounds to third instar larvae of insecticidesusceptible (KS-CP strain) and field-collected (DJ-CP colony) of Culex pipiens pallens was examined. Results were compared with those of to conventional mosquito larvicide, fenitrothion and temephos. Based on 24-h LC50 values, imperatorin was 1.9, 3.7, 4.2, 12.4, and 15.1 times more toxic than isopimpinellin, isoimperatorin, osthole, xanthotoxin, and bergapten against KS-CP larvae, respectively. Overall, these compounds were less toxic than either fenitrothion or temephos. However, these compounds did not differ in toxicity against larvae from the two Culex strains, even though the DJ-CP larvae exhibited high levels of resistance α-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, chlorpyrifos, fenthion, and chlorfenapyr (resistance ratio, 94-1179). This finding indicates that the isolated compounds and the pyrethroid, organophosphorus, and pyrrole insecticides do not share a common mode of action or elicit cross-resistance.

The toxicity of materials derived from seed of Pongamia pinnata Pierre toward to third instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens pallens was examined using direct contact bioassay. Results were compared with those of the currently used insecticides: fenthion and temephos. The active principles of Pongamia pinnata were identified as the karanjin (1), pongamone (2), palmitic acid (3) and karanjachromene (4), by spectroscopic analysis. Based on 24h LC50 values, karanjin (14.61 and 16.13 ppm) was the most toxic compound but less effective than fenthion (0.0031 and 0.068 ppm) and temephos (0.016 and 0.056 ppm) against Ae. aegypti and Cx p. pallens. Moderate toxicity was produced by pongamone (34.50 and 39.53 ppm), palmitic acid (36.93 and 42.96 ppm), and karanjachromene (43.05 and 48.95 ppm). P. pinnata seed derived materials, particularly karanjin, merit further study as potential mosquito larvicides for the control of mosquito populations in light of global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic larvicides in the aquatic environment

The larvicidal activity of materials from Ostericum koreanum (Apiaceae) root against late 3rd or early 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens pallens was examined using standard WHO technique under laboratory conditions. Results were compared with those of temephos. The biologically active constituents of O. koreanum root were characterized as four coumarines; isoimperatorin (I), osthol (II), oxypeucedanin (III) and imperatorin (IV) by spectroscopic analysis, including EI-MS, LC-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. On the basis of 24-hr LC50 values, osthol among these four coumarines was the most toxic against Ae. aegypti (1.97 ppm) and Cx. pipiens pallens (1.87 ppm) larvae, but its activity was less than temephos (0.0047 and 0.013 ppm, respectively). LC50 values of isoimperatorin, oxypeucedanin and imperatorin derived from O. koreanum root against Ae. aegypti larvae were 2.46, 6.92 and 2.17 ppm, and against Cx. pipiens pallens larvae, were 1.99, 5.04 and 3.68 ppm. The results indicate that both materials and coumarines from O. koreanum root have potential to be used for mosquito control.