Larvicidal properties of Breyenia vitis-idaea (Burm.f.) Fischer (Euphorbiaceae) against important vector mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Mosquitoes are vectors of many dreadful human diseases. Mosquitoes are the important single group of insects in terms of public health importance, which transmit a number of diseases, such as malaria, filariasis, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, etc. causing millions of deaths every year 1 . The control of these diseases had targeted partly the reduction in mosquito populations either at developmental or adult stages 2 . Chemical insecticides have been/are being used for the control of vector-borne diseases. The greatest harm from chemical insecticides is that once introduced into the eco system, they may remain there or for a very long duration. Thus, they pose a health hazard to the non-target organisms and human beings and help insects to develop resistance against them. This is the reason that there has always been a need for such an insecticide which is effective, with less side effects and easily degradable in nature, reducing the change to develop resistance against it. These problems have renewed interest in exploiting the pest control potential of plants 3 .