The potential of the genus Baccharis spp. as an insecticide for mosquitoes and non-biting flies of veterinary importance

Mosquitoes and non-biting flies are a relevant group of insects that can transmit pathogens for humans and animals, such as arboviruses or cause diseases as myiasis, in addition to the damage to agriculture. A great effort has been made to control the overpopulation of these insects. The widespread and uncontrolled use of synthetic insecticides around the world, face the problem of resistance to these insects. This chapter proposes a literature review of the potential of the genus Baccharis spp. as an insecticide for mosquitoes and non-biting flies of veterinary importance. Baccharis is a promising genus for new natural products against insects. Plants of this genus produce broad kinds of secondary metabolites like monoterpene/sesquiterpene in essential oils and phenolic compounds in EtOH extracts. From this literature research, it is clear that Baccharis spp. have a great potential to be used as insecticides against mosquitoes and flies. Some studies have reported on this matter, mainly actions against A. aegypti, Culex sp. and flies from Calliphoridae family. Some essential oil compounds like β-pinene, d-limonene, E-nerolidol and α-pinene have shown meaningful actions on insect metabolism. The further development of studies is necessary to improve the knowledge about which compounds and lethal concentration would be appropriate to use to control of dipteran outbreaks.