Antifeedant activity of aerial and root extracts of Sphagneticola trilobata (L) Pruski on Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Antifeedant activity of methanol and hexane extracts of aerial and root extract of Sphagneticola trilobata (L) pruski was tested against seven day old larvae of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) by no choice method of bioassay. A maximum antifeedant activity of 52.96 per cent was recorded at 0.1 per cent of methanol extract of aerial parts after 24 h of feeding. Root extracts exhibited low level of antifeedant activity against S. litura. At lower concentrations of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.03 per cent, there was no significant antifeedant activity. Antifeedant activity recorded after 48 h of feeding was similar to 24 h experiment but a slight reduction was noticed for 0.1 per cent of the methanol extract.