Chemical Composition and Behavioral Effects of Five Plant Essential Oils on the Green Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum ( Harris ) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Essential oils ( EO s) from Schinus molle , Helichrysum gymnocephalum , Cedrelopsis grevei and Melaleuca viridiflora , four aromatic and medicinal plants, are commonly used in folk medicine. EO s were characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry ( GC / MS ) and quantified by gas chromatography‐flame ionization detection (GC‐FID); then evaluated for their behavioral effects on adults of the green pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum ( Harris ) using a Perspex four‐armed olfactometer in order to test the compatibility of their use as phytoinsecticides to control this insect pest. Our results showed that the EO s from the leaves of S .  molle , M .  viridiflora and C .  grevei did not change aphids’ behavior. However, S .  molle fruits EO seemed to be attractive while H .  gymnocephalum leaves EO exhibited repellency towards aphids at a dose of 10 μl. The major compounds in S .  molle fruits EO were 6‐ epi ‐shyobunol (16.22%) and d ‐limonene (15.35%). While, in H .  gymnocephalum leaves EO , 1,8‐cineole was the main compound (47.4%). The difference in aphids’ responses to these two EO s could be attributed to the differences in their compositions. Our findings suggest that these two EO s have potential applications for the integrated pest management of A .  pisum ( Harris ).