The present investigation was aimed to investigate the mosquito larvicidal, ovicidal and pupicidal activities of different solvent extracts of Annona reticulata Linn. (Annonaceae) against selected mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae). A. reticulata benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extract were tested against 3rd instar larvae of Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus for 24 hr and mortality were recorded at various concentrations. The LC50 and LC90 values were determined following probit analysis. The ovicidal activity was determined against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus exposed to various concentrations were tested under laboratory conditions and the hatch rates were assessed 48hrs post treatment. Similarly, selected plant extracts were tested against pupae of selected mosquitoes at various concentrations and mortality of each pupa was recorded after 24hr post treatments of exposure. The LC50 and LC90 values of benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extract of A. reticulata against early third instar larvae of Ae. Aegypti, An. stephensi and Cx. quinquefasciatus were 83.56, 96.24, 106.52, 79.56, 83.81, 95.27, 69.56, 76.28, 86.32, 62.82, 74.36, 80.44ppm and 115.28, 124.65, 132.67, 112.86, 116.35, 119.77, 99.56, 104.58, 107.89, 88.31, 93.85 and 96.28 ppm, respectively. The chi-square values are significant at p≤0.05 level. It has been noticed that the higher concentrations of A. reticulata extracts possesses strong ovicidal activity at 200ppm concentration against Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus, no egg hatchability was recorded. In the same way, methanol extracts showed maximum ovicidal activity followed by benzene, chloroform and ethyl acetate against selected vector mosquitoes. In pupicidal activity, among the four solvent extracts tested against selected mosquitoes at 200ppm higher concentrations, the methanol was found to be most effective for pupicidal activity provided 29.67 (98.90%), 29.14 (97.13%) and 28.37 (94.56%) against C. quinquefasciatus, Ae. aegypti and An. stephensi respectively. The present investigation lead the path of exploration of Annona reticulata for eradication of selected medically important human vector mosquitoes, thereby, gaining a real momentum to include this plant product for intense vector control programme.
