Natural products used for insect control

Definition

Biologically derived compounds or materials obtained from plants, animals, or microorganisms that exhibit insecticidal, repellent, antifeedant, or growth-disrupting activity against pest insects. These products include botanical insecticides (e.g., pyrethrins, azadirachtin, rotenone), microbial toxins (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis crystal proteins, spinosyns), and semiochemicals (e.g., pheromones, kairomones used in mating disruption). Unlike synthetic insecticides, natural products typically share ecological origin with their targets, often exhibit shorter environmental persistence, and are generally compatible with integrated pest management and organic production systems. The category excludes synthetic analogs of natural compounds unless explicitly noted.

Etymology

Example

Azadirachtin, a limonoid extracted from neem seeds (Azadirachta indica), functions as a natural product for insect control by disrupting ecdysone-mediated molting in lepidopteran larvae and deterring feeding through antifeedant effects, making it valuable for managing diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in brassica crops without broad-spectrum toxicity to pollinators.

Synonyms

• botanical insecticides
• biopesticides
• natural insecticides

Related Terms

• Integrated Pest Management
• botanical insecticide
• microbial insecticide
• Semiochemical
• Insect growth regulator
• pyrethrin
• Azadirachtin
• Bt toxin
• resistance management
• organic agriculture

Usage Notes

The term is sometimes used loosely to include synthetic derivatives of natural compounds (e.g., synthetic pyrethroids), but specialists typically restrict it to naturally occurring substances. Contrast with 'synthetic insecticides' (petroleum-derived or fully synthetic molecules) and 'microbial control agents' (living organisms used for pest suppression). Efficacy and regulatory status vary: some natural products (e.g., pyrethrins) require EPA registration in the United States, while others fall under minimal-risk exemptions. Not all natural products are environmentally benign—rotenone is highly toxic to fish, and nicotine is toxic to mammals. The term overlaps with but is narrower than 'biopesticide,' which includes living organisms and their metabolites.