Effect of botanicals and synthetic insecticides on Pieris brassicae (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Cabbage white butterfly, Pieris brassicae (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), is one of the severe insect pests of cabbage crop which causes remarkable quantitative or qualitative crop losses. The effect of different new chemistry insecticides (thiamethoxam 25% SP, acetamiprid 20% SP and pyriproxyfen 10.8% EC) and four botanical extracts, Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. leaves, grapefruit ( Citrus × paradisi Macfad.) bark, spearmint ( Mentha spicata L.) leaves and neem ( Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) leaves, on the feeding behavior, larval growth and mortality of P. brassicae was studied at University of Sargodha (Pakistan). The study showed that neem extracts at 7% had a significant effect on growth parameters of P. brassicae . The relative growth rate was the lowest (3.05±0.27 mg/mg/d) when neem extract was applied at 7% and higher (8.59±1.38 mg/mg/d) when grapefruit extract was applied at 5% after the control treatment. In comparison to control treatment, relative feed consumption rate of P. brassicae and the efficiency of conversion of ingested food decreased to 66 and 58%, respectively, after the application of neem extract at 7%. Neem extracts at 7% caused up to 65% larval mortality. The neem extract (7%) in combination with pyriproxyfen also caused the significant stress on the larvae. So, neem extracts at 7% alone or in combination with insecticides can be used for control of P. brassicae in vegetable crops for a safer food supply.