Light‐dependent toxicity of the extract of plantTagetes erectaand alpha‐terthienyl toward larvae of mosquitoCulex tritaeniorhynchus

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Abstract
Irradiation of the fourth instar larvae of mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus with the plant extract of common weed Tagetes erecta under sunlight generated an impressive level of toxicity. There was no intrinsic toxicity in the plant extract as evident by the absence of any adverse effect on the larvae even at a higher concentration and prolonged contact in the absence of sunlight. The effect was also not due to the photochemical conversion of any of the constituents of the plant into toxic products as an identical solution exposed to sunlight for the same length of time did not kill the larvae which were later exposed to it. Similar observations were recorded on performing the experiments with alpha‐terthienyl, which is a constituent of the plants belonging to Tagetes sp. The former observation opens up the possibility of controlling the population of mosquitoes by using the crude plant extract or the plant itself.