Insecticidal and synergistic activity of Atriplex halimus L. extracts.

The acetone/ethanol, petroleum-ether, ether and chloroform extracts of Atriplex halimus L. proved to be with considerable toxicity to Culex larvae with LC50 values of 115, 36, 54 and 48 ppm, respectively. Out of the different extracts of A. halimus, the ether and pet-ether extracts showed strong aphicidal activity against A. gossypii with LC50 values of 0.059 and 0.085%, respectively. Only the ethanol extracts were found to be toxic to the cotton leafworm with LD50 value of 5.6 mg/larva. All of the tested extracts were non toxic to the stored product insect, T. castanum. Organo-phosphorous (OP) insecticides synergism studies revealed that the pet-ether and ethanol extracts of Atriplex strongly synergized the toxicity of reldan and actellic in Tribolium castaneum.