Effect of Verbascum sinuatum (Scrophulariaceae) on oviposition of Callosobruchus maculatus (Bruchidae)

No doubt, damage and losses inflicted by Callosobruchus maculatus to stored products in general and chickpea in particular can be significant. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the Verbascum sinuatum powder on C. maculatus oviposition behavior in chickpea under laboratory conditions (30 °C, 60% relative humidity). Powder of Mullein plant (V. sinuatum) caused reduction in fecundity, fertility, adult emergence from seeds and chickpea weight loss depending on treatment concentration (0.1, 0.05 and 0.025 g/ ml). It reduced the number of eggs laid by the weevil at first concentration to 136 eggs, the egg hatching rate at 52.22% and adult emergence to 34.03%. The percentage of seed weight loss was reduced at all studied concentrations but not significantly different at second and third concentrations compared to control. The lowest weight loss of seeds was registered at first concentration (4.7%). V. sinuatum, according to this study, showed a significant potential to reduce the egg deposition and chickpea seed weight loss due to the chickpea beetle.