The present study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of five species of the genus Piper (P. aduncum L.; P. crassinervium Kunth.; P. malacophyllum Prels.; P. gaudichaudianum Kunth.; P. marginatum L.), and assess their toxicity to the adults of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and the pupal parasitoid Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae). The major compounds were monoterpene hydrocarbons (5.3-60.9%); oxygenated monoterpenes (13.3%); sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (8.3-45.3%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (5.2-58.8%); and arylpropanoids (15.2-29.6%). In bioassays of ingestion and topical application, essential oils (EOs) from P. aduncum, P. gaudichaudianum, and P. marginatum killed approximately 100% of adults of D. suzukii, similarly to the insecticide based on spinetoram (75 mg L-1) (96.2% of mortality). Besides, the dry residues from P. aduncum, P. gaudichaudianum, and P. marginatum provided a repellent effect on oviposition (≅ 7 eggs/fruits) and negative effects on egg viability (≅ 2 larvae/fruits) of D. suzukii on artificial fruits. Based on the estimate of the lethal concentration required to kill 90% of exposed flies, EOs from P. aduncum, P. crassinervium, P. gaudichaudianum, P. malacophyllum, and P. marginatum provided low toxicity to the parasitoid T. anastrephae in a bioassay of ingestion and topical application (mortality < 20%), similarly to the water treatment (≅ 5% of mortality). EOs of Piper species tested in this work showed to be promising plant insecticides for the management of D. suzukii.
Keywords: Endoparasitoid pupal; Piper sp.; Spotted wing drosophila; Sustainable pest management.