Investigating the effect of repellency essential oil and capsule formulation containing Zataria bracteata Boiss essential oil on flour moth pest Ephestia.kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephastia cohenila (Zell.) is one of the important pests of stored products, and due to its economic importance, it is necessary to combat it. The use of plant essential oils and their compounds can be a suitable alternative to conventional chemical methods due to their low risks for mammals. In this research, the repellency effect of essential oils of Zataria bracteata Boiss on the third instar larvae of the mealybug was investigated. Also, the effect of repellency the capsule formula of these essential oil was also investigated. The results showed that the repellency rate of Zataria bracteata Boiss compounds with a concentration of ۱.۵ microliters on the flour disc had an effect of ۵۶% in the essential oil and ۴۰% in the capsule formulation of thyme essential oil compounds increased repellency was observed. Therefore, many of these plant essential oils, especially Zataria bracteata Boiss have a high potential to be used in integrated control programs of this pest in warehouses.