PESTICIDAL POTENTIALS OF TROPICAL PLANTS .1. INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY INLEAF EXTRACTS OF 60 PLANTS

Crude ethanol extracts (CE) of leaves of 60 plant species belonging to 32 families and 52 genera were bioassayed for toxicity to adult Tribo lium confusum by spraying a 10% (w/v) concentrate under a Potter's tow er. CE of eight plants had none and three had some bioactivity; 36 CE killed from 13 to 40% of the beetles. Thirteen plant extracts inflicte d between 53 and 100% mortality in the following order: Azadirachta in dica (53%) < Eupatorium odorantum = Gliricida sepium = Mimosa pudica ( 60%) < Annona reticulata = Hibiscus rosa sinensis (67%) < Cycloptis se micordata < Artocarpus altilis < Capsicum annum (90-97%) < Bontia daph noides = Cuscuta americana = Dioscorea polygonoides = Nicotina tabacum (100%).