Applied Entomology and Zoology (Volume 1) | Doi : 10.37446/volbook082024/29-37

PAID ACCESS | Published on : 09-Oct-2025

Role of Attractants, Repellents, and Antifeedants in Biorational Pest Management

  • Divya D M
  • Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
  • Naveen S
  • Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.

Abstract

Biorationals, derived from natural sources, represent a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical pesticides in insect pest management. They exert their effects by modifying insect behavior, disrupting growth, or deterring feeding, rather than causing direct toxicity. Among them, semio chemicals including attractants, repellents, and antifeedants play a crucial role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Attractants such as food lures, oviposition cues, and poison baits exploit insect sensory systems for monitoring and control. Repellents, both botanical and synthetic, protect crops and animals by discouraging insect settlement, feeding, or oviposition through tactile, olfactory, and gustatory mechanisms. Antifeedants, primarily derived from plants like neem, act as feeding inhibitors, reducing growth, fecundity, and survival of pests while sparing beneficial organisms. These approaches offer advantages such as species specificity, compatibility with biological control, and reduced ecological risks. However, limitations like environmental dependency, short persistence, and target specificity necessitate their integration with other IPM strategies. Overall, attractants, repellents, and antifeedants provide valuable, low-risk tools for sustainable pest management and hold promise for minimizing reliance on hazardous chemical insecticides.

Keywords

Biorationals, Semio chemicals, Attractants, Repellents, Antifeedants, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Botanical pesticides

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