Research Article

The Relative Efficiency of Some Plant Essential Oils against Carpomya vesuviana Costa, 1854 and Carpomya incompleta (Becker, 1903) (Diptera: Tephritidae) Infesting Jujube Fruits Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., 1789

Eyas Yaseen Al-Jboory1* and Feryal Bahjat Hermize2

1Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq; 2Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

Received | October 29, 2025; Accepted | February 23, 2026; Published | June 11, 2026

*Correspondence | Eyas Yaseen Al-Jboory, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq; Email: [email protected]

Citation | Al-Jboory, E.Y. and F.B. Hermize. 2026. The Relative Efficiency of some plant essential oils against Carpomya vesuviana Costa, 1854 and Carpomya incompleta (Becker, 1903) (Diptera: Tephritidae) infesting jujube fruits Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., 1789 Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 42(2): 1017-1025.

DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2026/42.2.1017.1025

Keywords | Carpomya incompleta, Carpomya vesuviana, Cypress oil, Lavender oil, Lemongrass oil, Ziziphus mauritiana

Copyright: 2026 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Introduction

Sidr trees (Ziziphus spp.), also known as Jujube, especially economic species like Indian Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.), are vital horticultural crops in arid and semi-arid regions (Yadav et al., 2020). These trees have been cultivated for thousands of years across vast areas worldwide for their nutritious and delicious fruits. They are highly valued for their high nutritional content, utilization of by-products, medicinal uses, and remarkable adaptability to harsh environmental conditions (Liu et al., 2020; Hasan and Zainulabdeen, 2022; Al-Zaydi and Al-Jibouri, 2025; Jia et al., 2025).

With increasing interest in jujube cultivation as a source of income and food security, challenges to fruit production are escalating. One of the most prominent challenges is fruit flies, which negatively impact both the quality and quantity of the harvest (Ismail et al., 2023). In India, over 130 insect species have been identified as pests of jujube trees (Lakra and Singh, 1985). Among the many insect pests that affect jujube trees, the fruit fly species C. vesuviana Costa and C. incompleta (Becker) are among the most important pests that affect fruits and cause direct yield loss (Garrido-Jurado et al., 2022; Kavin et al., 2024).

These two pests are monophagous, meaning they specialize solely on jujube trees and cause significant reductions in the productivity and quality of jujube fruits. In Iraq, C. incompleta can lead to crop losses ranging from 80–100% in uncontrolled areas (Al-Masudey and Al-Yousuf, 2013). This species is widely distributed in Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Romania, Spain), Asia (including Iraq, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen), and Africa (e.g., Egypt, Sudan, Morocco) (Zakari-Moussa et al., 2012; Ciceoi et al., 2017; Korneyev et al., 2017; Garrido-Jurado et al., 2022). As for C. vesuviana, it causes production losses of up to 80% in cases of severe infestation (Vadivelu, 2014) and is prevalent in vast regions including Italy, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Lebanon, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, and Oman (Kapoor, 2002; Farrar et al., 2009; AlWahaibi and AlAnsar, 2024).

Females of both species lay their eggs inside the fruits, and the emerging larvae feed internally on the fruit’s contents, creating tunnels filled with frass. This leads to fruit decay, and growth of secondary pathogens, this lead to an undesirable taste, fruit deformation, delayed development, or even premature fruit drop (White and Elson-Harris, 1992; Singh, 2008). The severity of damage increases as the season progresses, making these pests limiting factors for successful jujube cultivation, as a jujube tree rarely remains free from infestation (Lakra and Singh, 1984; Yadav et al., 2020).

In the local context of Iraq, the fruit fly C. incompleta attacks jujube fruits in Iraq during two generations per year, the first in November and the second in April, causing severe damage that necessitates control (Jabbar, 1996; Al-yousif et al., 2007). In contrast, despite the global prevalence of C. vesuviana, Jabbar (1996) indicated that this species has only one generation per year in Iraq. A recent study by Tahir (2023) in Basra Governorate reported no infestations by this species, while infestations by C. incompleta and Bactrocera zonata were recorded.

Due to these high infestation rates and the resulting significant losses in jujube crop quality and quantity, coupled with the environmental and health challenges associated with the excessive use of conventional chemical pesticides, which have led to resistance development and negative impacts on the environment, human health, and non-target organisms (Vadivelu, 2014; Zhao et al., 2020), there is an urgent need to develop effective and sustainable pest management strategies. Therefore, the search for safer and more effective alternative control methods, such as plant extracts, traps, biological control, cultural practices, and the development of resistant varieties, has become essential within integrated pest management programs (Ehler, 2006; Yunis, 2014; Aziz et al., 2014). essential oils have increasingly demonstrated significant potential as promising, safe, and effective alternatives to synthetic insecticides across various pest control programs (Majeed et al., 2018; Majeed et al., 2020; Akbar et al., 2021). Thus, this study aimed to test the field efficacy of certain plant essential oils to protect jujube fruits from infestation by jujube fruit flies, providing a safer alternative for the environment and humans.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in a 1.25 hectares jujube orchard located in the Radwaniya area of Baghdad Governorate, Iraq, during the season of 2024. Three plant essential oil extracts (Lavandula angustifolia, Cymbopogon flexuosus, and Cupressus sempervirens) were sprayed, using a manual backpack sprayer, in addition to a control treatment consisting of water with Tween 20. The application commenced in November of the same year, following the onset of infestation on jujube fruits. jujube trees of the ‘Armouti’ cultivar (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.), aged 4-5 years with similar heights of approximately 2 meters, were selected for the study.

Identification of fruit fly species and their percentage

Infested fruits were collected from the replicates of the control treatment and placed in plastic containers filled with sterilized soil. The containers were covered with tulle fabric and kept in the laboratory at temperatures ranging from 25-30 °C until adult emergence for species identification. Emerged adults were preserved in test tubes containing 70% ethyl alcohol and sent to the Natural History Museum Research Center/University of Baghdad for morphological identification.

Method of plant oil extraction and concentrations used

During March and April of 2024, we collected the aerial parts of C. flexuosus (lemongrass) and C. sempervirens (cypress), along with flower buds of L. angustifolia (lavender), from the gardens of the University of Baghdad. After collection, plant parts were cleaned, washed with tap water, dried at room temperature, and stored under clean conditions until use.

Essential oils were separated from the dried leaves of lemongrass and cypress trees and lavender flower buds. Oils were extracted from 250 g of dried plant material using the hot water distillation method with a Cleavenger apparatus. Steam was passed through a condenser, and the condensed liquid was collected. The oil was separated from water using a separating funnel, and the extracted essential oil was stored in sealed specialized bottles at 4°C (Ali et al., 2020; Abed et al., 2022).

The concentrations used for the treatments included 1% lavender oil, 0.5% lemongrass oil (the concentration was adjusted from 1% to 0.5% after observing tissue burns on fruits during an initial preliminary spray before the main experiment), and 1% cypress oil, while the control treatment consisted solely of water mixed with the emulsifier Tween 20.

The dose of the emulsifier Tween 20 was fixed at 3 ml/L for all treatments, regardless of oil concentrations, to ensure reduced surface tension of water and improved adhesion on the plant, based on the study by Pavela and Novák (2024). The essential oil extracts were then diluted with water to achieve the desired concentration for each oil.

Preliminary experimental spray of oils

A preliminary experimental spray using a manual backpack sprayer on 4-5 years old fruiting jujube trees was conducted to test the plants’ sensitivity to these concentrations. The spray revealed that lemongrass oil at 1% (10 ml/L) caused tissue burns on the fruits. Consequently, the concentration was reduced to 0.5% (5 ml/L), at which no burns were observed.

Experimental design of essential oils

Twelve ‘Armouti’ jujube trees were selected and divided into 3 groups (blocks), with 4 trees in each group. The trees were randomly sprayed with treatments including lavender oil, lemongrass oil, cypress oil, and the control treatment (water with Tween 20 only). This technique meant that each treatment was sprayed on 3 trees (replicates) randomly distributed within each block, following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Trees were marked with distinct labels for each treatment. A 5-liter backpack sprayer was used to apply the essential oil extracts. Spraying was conducted to ensure complete coverage of all vegetative and fruiting parts of the trees.

Evaluation of essential oil efficacy

Infestation rates for all treatments were recorded by randomly collecting 25 fruits per tree from the four directions of the tree, specifically 5 fruits from each of the four sides, in addition to 5 fallen fruits. These were placed in nylon bags for laboratory examination.

The percentage of fruit infestation was determined by examining the fruits both externally and internally for oviposition puncture, presence of larvae, larval exit holes, partial fruit rot, and discoloration due to infestation.

Assessments were performed one day before spraying and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after each spray, for both the first and second sprays, for each replicate. The relative efficacy of the extracts was calculated and then corrected using Henderson and Tilton’s formula (Henderson and Tilton, 1955):

Where: n = number of infested fruits, T = number of infested fruits in the treated group, Co = number of infested fruits in the control group.

Statistical analysis

Results were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) according to the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Means of percentages were compared using the Least Significant Difference (L.S.D) at the 0.05 probability level, utilizing Genstat 15th Edition software (Payne et al., 2012).

Results and Discussion

Identification of fruit fly species and their percentage

The morphological identification results from the Natural History Museum Research Center–University of Baghdad indicated the presence of two species of Jujube fruit flies in the submitted samples: C. incompleta and C. vesuviana.

Regarding the species composition within the untreated control group, the results revealed a clear dominance of C. incompleta, which accounted for 72% of the emerged adults, compared to 28% for C. vesuviana. This distribution indicates that C. incompleta was the predominant species in the study area during the trial period.

Relative efficacy of plant essential oils

Table 1 indicates that lavender oil was the most effective among the essential oils in the first spray, achieving a high efficacy of 85.04% after one day and an overall relative efficacy of 64.60%. This suggests its excellent immediate control capability. Lemongrass oil followed in second place with an average relative efficacy of 52.78%, while cypress oil was significantly less effective, at 28.79%. The efficacy of all oils decreased over time, starting at 70.59% one day after spraying and gradually dropping to 25.93% after 14 days. The overall average efficacy for the first spray was 48.72%, which was lower than that of the second spray’s efficacy of 52.52% (Table 2). Statistical differences between the oils and time intervals were significant when compared to the L.S.D at the 0.05 level.

Table 2 shows that the second spray of essential oils led to a slight improvement in their efficacy compared to the first spray. Lavender oil maintained the highest level of efficacy at 67.73%, indicating the

 

Table 1: Relative efficacy of different plant essential oils following the first spray application against fruit flies C. incompleta and C. vesuviana

Essential oils	Period after treatment (day)				Average of Oils	Overall spray average
	1	3	7	14
Lavender oil	(a)85. 04	(b)74. 53	(c)61.22	(d)37.62	(A)64.6	48.72
Lemongrass oil	(a)78. 62	(b)58. 19	(c)48.73	(d)25.56	(B)52.78
Cypress oil	(a)48. 11	(b)32. 39	(c)20.03	(d)14.61	(C)28.79
Average of period	(W)70. 59	(X)55 .04	(Y)43.32	(Z)25.93
L.S.D at 0.05	Averages of period 4.136	Average of Oils 3.582	Oils × Period 7.164

 

Table 2: Relative efficacy of different plant essential oils following the second spray application against fruit flies C. incompleta and C. vesuviana

Essential oils	Period after treatment (day)				Average of oils	Overall spray average
	1	3	7	14
Lavender oil	(a)86.43	(b)77.98	(c)65.49	(d)41.01	(A)67.73	52.52
Lemongrass oil	(a)81.19	(b)62.67	(c)52.78	(d)28.55	(B)56.30
Cypress oil	(a)54.32	(b)36.9	(c)23.41	(d)19.49	(C)33.53
Average of period	(W)73.98	(X)59.18	(Y)47.23	(Z)29.68
L.S.D at 0.05	Averages of period 5.068	Average of Oils 4.389	Oils × Period 8.778

 

persistence of its positive effect. Lemongrass oil and cypress oil also showed slight improvements, with average efficacies of 56.30 and 33.53%, respectively. This evidence confirms that repeated applications of essential oils can increase their overall control efficacy. Furthermore, differences between the extracts and time intervals remained significant when compared to the L.S.D at the 0.05 level, indicating consistent differences in performance.

Identification of fruit fly species and their percentage

The results showed the presence of two types of fruit flies, C. incompleta and C. vesuviana, with the first type being more dominant than the second in the area where the study was conducted in Baghdad Governorate. This is consistent with the results of Al-Jboory and Hermize (2025a), who indicated the presence of both species in Iraq, specifically in Baghdad Governorate. The results did not align with what Tahr (2023) indicated in Basrah, Iraq, as she recorded the presence of the species C. incompleta and the peach fruit fly B. zonata but did not record the presence of the species C. vesuviana in her study, which involved a survey of the types of flies infecting jujube fruits in Basrah and the implementation of some control applications on them. The absence of the species C. vesuviana in Basrah Governorate and its presence in our study in Baghdad Governorate may be due to the differences in environmental conditions between the two regions.

Comparative efficacy of plant essential oils as eco-friendly alternatives for fruit fly management

Analysis of the results presented in Table 1 and Table 2 indicates that lavender oil exhibited superior efficacy compared to other tested oils in reducing infestation rates in jujube fruits. This can be attributed to lavender oil’s possession of certain insecticidal properties, including contact mortality, repellency, and oviposition deterrence. Ouarhacha et al. (2022) highlighted the contact insecticidal effect of lavender oil, as well as its deterrent effect on adult female oviposition. Specifically, lavender oil extracted from Lavandula coronopifolia demonstrated these effects when tested against the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, a major citrus pest belonging to the family Tephritidae, the same family as the Jujube fruit fly. Their study revealed that lavender oil caused a 75% mortality rate in adult insects when exposed to a concentration of 150 ml/gm after one day of testing. Furthermore, it significantly deterred adult females from ovipositing on fruits, achieving a 94% oviposition deterrence at a concentration of 55 ml/gm compared to the control treatment.

Similarly, results in Table 1 and Table 2 showed that lemongrass oil was effective in reducing the rates of infested jujube fruits. This efficacy may stem from lemongrass oil’s contact insecticidal, repellent, and oviposition-deterrent effects on adult insects. Perwita et al. (2020) investigated the repellent and oviposition-deterrent properties of lemongrass oil against the fruit fly Bactrocera carambolae, another pest belonging to the Tephritidae family, under laboratory conditions. In their study, lemongrass oil was incorporated into an edible film composed of chitosan, polyethylene glycol, and carboxymethyl cellulose. This film, when tested on adult females, demonstrated a repellency effect and prevented oviposition on fruits with an efficacy of 85.412%.

Furthermore, Negm et al. (2022) highlighted the contact insecticidal effect of lemongrass oil on adult fruit flies in their study of the peach fruit fly B. zonata. Lemongrass oil alone, at LC25, resulted in a 13.33% mortality rate for male B. zonata and 3.33% for females after 24 hours of exposure. The study also noted that combining lemongrass oil with the bio-pesticide Spinosad significantly increased Spinosad’s efficacy in adult mortality and enhanced its negative impacts on the insect’s life parameters. This suggests that lemongrass oil can be utilized not only as a standalone biopesticide but also as a synergistic agent to boost the efficiency of other eco-friendly pesticides like Spinosad. This opens up new avenues for sustainable integrated pest management programs.

As for cypress oil, the results indicated it showed the lowest efficacy among the oils used in our study. Nevertheless, cypress oil demonstrated some effectiveness in reducing infestation rates due to its insect repellent properties. Augull et al. (2023) reported that cypress oil at 50,000 ppm had a repellent effect on adult Vespa orientalis wasps up to 45 meters when sprayed on honeybee hive entrances. Additionally, the researcher noted that cypress oil did not cause harm to bees when sprayed at the entrances of beehives. The low efficacy observed for cypress oil in our study might be attributed to the low concentration used.

The findings of this study confirms that repeated applications of essential oils can increase their overall control efficacy. Furthermore, differences between the extracts and time intervals remained significant when compared to the L.S.D at the 0.05 level, indicating consistent differences in performance.

The significant reduction in fruit fly infestation observed in this study aligns with recent findings by Al-Jboory and Hermize (2025b), who emphasized the increasing necessity of botanical pesticides in integrated pest management (IPM) programs in Iraq. Furthermore, the efficacy of the tested essential oils can be attributed to their complex chemical profiles, particularly the presence of bioactive constituents such as terpenes and phenolic compounds. This is supported by the recent work of Tabanca et al. (2025), who demonstrated that specific essential oil components α-thujone and α, β-thujone found in Artemisia absinthium L. exhibit significant toxicity and behavioral impacts on Tephritid fruit flies, including Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha suspensa. Their findings underscore the potential of essential oils not only as repellents but also as toxic agents that can be effectively integrated into comprehensive sustainable pest management strategies under field conditions.

Conclusions and Recommendations

This research highlights the development and application of more effective and sustainable pest control methods with reduced environmental impact compared to conventional chemical pesticides. These methods target the fruit flies, C. incompleta and C. vesuviana, which cause significant losses to Jujube tree production in Iraq. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of lavender oil, lemongrass oil, and cypress oil as safe, effective, and natural alternatives. This, in turn, reduces sole reliance on traditional chemical pesticides for control. The observed increase in oil efficacy across all treatments after the second spray indicates the necessity of multiple applications in pest management programs. This approach ensures sustained protection of agricultural yields while safeguarding the environment and human health from harmful exposure. Furthermore, future studies are crucial to determine the optimal and most effective dosages for all essential oil extracts and to investigate their long-term effects on non-target organisms.

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their sincere gratitude to the Natural History Museum Research Center/University of Baghdad, especially to Dr. Hanaa Al-Saffar, for her morphological identification of the fruit fly recorded in this study. Appreciation is also extended to the Plant Extracts Laboratory at the College of Science / University of Baghdad especially to Dr. Ibrahim Jabber Abed for providing optimal conditions for extracting the botanical oils used in this research.

Novelty Statement

This study represents the first investigation to evaluate the relative efficacy of essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia (lavender), Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass), and Cupressus sempervirens (cypress) against the fruit flies, C. incompleta and C. vesuviana, on Jujube tree fruits under field conditions in Iraq. The results provide helpful information about incorporating the mentioned oils into integrated pest management programs, aiming to reduce reliance on conventional chemical pesticides and mitigate their environmental harm.

Author’s Contribution

Eyas Yaseen Al-Jboory: Performed the experiment and recorded and analyzed the data and write-up of this manuscript.

Feryal Bahjat Hermize: Conceived the research idea, provided resources and supervised the project.

Generative AI and AI-assisted technology statement

The authors declare that no generative AI and AI assisted technology was used in the creation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest regarding the submission and publication of this research work.

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