Effect of Plant Based Essential Oil on Immune Response of Silkworm, Antheraea assama Westwood (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Botanicals have been regarded as sustainable solution of pest control because of their nominal effect on nontarget pest, biodegradability and other environment friendly properties. However, study on impact of botanicals against beneficial insects is less. In this investigation effort has been made to study the effect of essential oils of Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum gratissimum and Ageratum conyzoides against non-mulberry silkworm Antheraea assama in terms of percent mortality, total haemocyte count (THC) and phenol oxidase (PO) enzyme activity. After application of essential oil of the plants by contact residual film technique, age dependent decrease of percent mortality was recorded. Topical treatment of oil at higher dosages ($1{\mu}lg^{-1}$ and $0.5{\mu}lg^{-1}$) caused 100% mortality of late instar larvae at 24 hour but the lowest dose ($0.25{\mu}lg^{-1}$) did not cause any mortality till 48 hour of treatment. Initial increase of total haemocyte count (THC) was recorded at early hours of treatment (0.25 hour) at all dosages (1, 0.5, $0.25{\mu}lg^{-1}$) after topical treatment. A dose dependent increase was observed in phenol oxidase enzyme activity and this might indicate ability of the essential oils to cause induction of immune response in Antheraea assama larvae.