The Effect of Lantana camara L. extract and Nano-silver extract of Lantana against Potato Tuber Moth [Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)]

Abstract The widespread use of chemical pesticides has resulted in significant ecological disturbances and adverse effects on non-target organisms globally. In response, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising component of environmentally sustainable pest management strategies, fostering the development of innovative, natural, and safe biopesticides. This study investigates the insecticidal efficacy of ethanol and nano-silver extracts derived from the medicinal plant Lantana camara L. against the eggs and larvae of the Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella [Zeller]), a critical quarantine pest threatening potato production in Turkey. The toxicological effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) extracts derived from L. camara were assessed based on the lethal concentration required to achieve 50% mortality (LC₅₀) in third instar larvae and 1-day-old eggs of P. operculella. The LC50–LC90 range was established as 6.56–54.72 for ethanol-based extracts and 1.45–6.59 for AgNp-based extracts. Maximum egg-hatching inhibition was recorded at a 12% ethanol extract concentration (76.5%) and 200 ppm AgNPs treatment (94.9%). The bioassay results indicated that silver nanoparticles formulations of L. camara were significantly more effective than ethanol extracts in controlling both larvae and eggs of the Potato Tuber Moth. Furthermore, treated potato tubers exhibited a marked reduction in adult moth emergence compared to the untreated control