The flesh fly Sarcophaga ruficornis is well known for its medical and veterinary importance in causing myiasis in humans and animals. The conventional use of chemical pesticides for controlling insect pests has resulted in environmental pollution besides posing serious hazards to non-target organisms and the development of pest resistance against these compounds. Considering the various harmful and adverse effects of chemical pesticides, an alternative and safe approach for the pest management has to be explored. The plant extracts derived from plants are eco-friendly in nature, easily biodegradable, and can be used as botanical pesticides. Extracts from root of the medicinal plant Withania somnifera were assessed for their toxicity and insect growth regulatory activity when administered to larvae of S. ruficornis. Topical administration of root extracts of W. somnifera to 0–3-day-old third instar larvae of S. ruficornis resulted into severe disruption of development, moulting, and metamorphosis producing several detrimental effects such as toxicity, prolongation of larval life, ecdysial stasis, abnormal pupariation, reduced normal pupariation and adult emergence, and development of pupal-adult mosaics and adultoids. The LC50 values in topical application of root extracts of W. somnifera were 28.19, 43.49, 47.48, and 48.16 g/μL against S. ruficornis third instar day 0, 1, 2, and 3 larvae, respectively. These effects are similar to those observed as a consequence of the administration of juvenile hormone analogs (juvenoids) and may be due to interference with the normal hormonal mechanism of moulting and metamorphosis. This clearly demonstrates that the root extracts of W. somnifera may be used as an insect growth regulator for the control and management of S. ruficornis along with other bio-rational approaches in integrated pest management programs.

中文翻译：

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药用植物 Withania somnifera 在肉蝇中的毒性和昆虫生长调节活性，Sarcophaga ruficornis（双翅目：Sarcophagidae）

肉蝇 Sarcophaga ruficornis 因其在人类和动物中引起蝇蛆病的医学和兽医重要性而闻名。化学杀虫剂用于控制害虫的常规使用除了对非目标生物造成严重危害和害虫对这些化合物产生抗性外，还导致环境污染。考虑到化学农药的各种有害和不利影响，必须探索另一种安全的害虫管理方法。从植物中提取的植物提取物本质上是环保的，易于生物降解，可用作植物农药。当施用于 S. ruficornis 幼虫时，对药用植物睡茄根提取物的毒性和昆虫生长调节活性进行了评估。将 W. somnifera 的根提取物局部施用于 S. ruficornis 的 0-3 天龄三龄幼虫，导致发育、蜕皮和变态严重中断，产生多种不利影响，如毒性、幼虫寿命延长、蜕皮停滞、异常蛹化、正常化蛹和成虫羽化减少，以及蛹成虫嵌合体和成虫发育。W. somnifera 根提取物的局部应用对 S. ruficornis 三龄第 0、1、2 和 3 天幼虫的 LC50 值分别为 28.19、43.49、47.48 和 48.16 g/μL。这些作用类似于由于使用保幼激素类似物（保幼激素）而观察到的结果，可能是由于干扰了正常的换羽和变态激素机制。