Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Greek Myrtle Essential Oils against Culex pipiens biotype molestus

Fresh leaves of Myrtus communis collected from different localities in Greece, were subjected to hydrodistillation and the oils obtained were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The analyses showed mainly quantitative differences, with the monoterpenes myrtenyl acetate, α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, and linalool, along with limonene, dominating the majority of the analyzed Myrtle oils. The evaluation of the larvicidal activity of the samples against Culex pipiens biotype molestus mosquito showed that all tested samples exhibited moderate to weak toxicity, with cultivated M. communis subsp. communis oil being the most active.