Potential insecticidal effects of aqueous tree leaf extracts against the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

Coptotermes gestroi specimens were exposed to chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.), teak (Tectona grandis Lf.), andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.), peroba (Aspidosperma polyneuron Miill. Arg.), aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva (Allem) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam. de Wit) leaf extracts, at a 10% concentration for 20 days. The consumption of cardboard squares immersed in leaf extracts was lower than the consumption of control, except for M. azedarach. The extracts of M. azedarach, M. urundeuva and T. grandis were responsible for 100, 100 and 95.38% of termite mortality, respectively. The L. leucocephala, A. polyneuron and C. guianensis extracts were not efficient for C. gestroi control.