Excito-repellent activity of β-caryophyllene oxide against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles minimus

Abstract Contact irritant and non-contact repellent activities of β-caryophyllene oxide were evaluated against laboratory strains of female Aedes aegypti (USDA strain), a major arbovirus vector and Anopheles minimus (KU strain), a major malaria parasite vector, compared with the synthetic repellent DEET, using an excito-repellency test system. β-caryophyllene oxide and DEET were tested at concentrations of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0% (v/v). Anopheles minimus was found to be more sensitive to β-caryophyllene oxide than that of Ae. aegypti and exhibited high avoidance response rates (86–96% escape) at 0.5% and 1.0% concentrations in contact and non-contact trials compared with Ae. aegypti (22–59% escape). However, at the same concentrations, DEET displayed lower irritancy and repellency capacities against these two mosquito species (range 0–54% escape) compared to β-caryophyllene oxide. The analysis of escape responses showed significant differences between mosquito species at all concentrations ( P