Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) is responsible for the transmission of lymphatic filariasis. The search for natural sources of new insecticides to control mosquitoes has intensified in recent years. Tecoma stans is an exotic species in Brazil, known as 'ipê de jardim'. T. stans pericarps were extracted with hexane in Soxhlet apparatus, and fatty acids (FA) and methyl esters (FAME) were obtained by transesterification reaction of hexane extract (HE). HE, FA, and FAME were evaluated against 3rd. and 4th. instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) identified the hydrocarbon nonacosane (81.69%) as the major compound in HE, and linolenic (16.89%), linoleic (16.83%), and palmitic acids (21.00%) were predominant in FA. FA and HE, at a concentration of 250 µg/mL, promoted mortality of 81.67% and 68.66% of larvae, respectively. HE and FA obtained from T. stans pericarps have larvicidal potential for the control of C. quinquefasciatus.
Keywords: Nonacosane; bioinsecticide; bioprospecting; fatty acids; larvicidal potential.