14 Larvicidal activity of a neem.pmd

1School of Public Health and Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Received: 22/10/02; accepted: 18/08/03 ABSTRACT An insecticide containing azadirachtin, a neem tree (Azadirachta indica) extract, was tested against mosquito larvae in the Islamic Republic of Iran under laboratory and field conditions. LC50 and LC90 values for Neemarin were 0.35 and 1.81 mg/L for Anopheles stephensi, the main local malaria vector, and 0.69 and 3.18 mg/L for Culex quinquefasciatus. The mortality in the pupal stage was significantly higher than the other stages. In field trials, using recommended dosages of 1 and 2 L/hectare, mortality of Anopheles spp. larvae was also higher than Culex spp. Prevention of adult emerged and pupal mortality was the main activity of this compound. The maximum time of efficacy was 7 days at the highest concentration (2 L/hectare).