Essential oils are naturally occurring phytochemicals produced as secondary metabolite in plants. These are complex mixtures of volatile compounds. They are lipophilic in nature and have density lower than water. These interfere with basic metabolic, biochemical, physiological and behavioural functions of insects. Several essential oils and its constituents have been established for their repellent, antifeedant, ovicidal, oviposition inhibitory and developmental inhibitory activities in insects. These insecticides propably interfere with the respiratory and nervous system of the insect to exert its actions. These essential oils provide an alternative source of insect control agents because they contain a range of bioactive chemicals, most of which are selective and have little or no harmful effect on the environment and the non-target organisms including human. The main aim of this book is to provide basic informations about the plant derived essential oils, their chemistry and their role in stored grain insect pests in a layman word to the learners to carry the lab informations to land.

Dr. Mukesh Kumar Chaubey is Assistant Professor in Department of Zoology, MGPG College Gorakhpur, U.P., INDIA. He has been awarded Ph.D. in 2007 from DDU University, Gorakhpur, U.P., INDIA. His research area is 'Insect Pest Management'.