Potential Insecticidal Activity of Aminonaphthoquinone Mannich Bases Derived from Lawsone and Their Copper (II) Complex Derivatives

The fall armyworm, , is a polyphagous pest that causes important damage in different regions of America and mainly affects corn crops in both tropical and subtropical areas. Currently, control relies on both transgenic plants and/or chemical pesticides. In this work, we describe insecticidal activity against the fall armyworm from a series of Mannich bases (), derived from 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (lawsone), substituted benzaldehydes, and two primary amines, and their Cu complexes (). The [Cu(L)] complexes were more effective in larval mortality compared to the free Mannich bases. Among the tested compounds, complex showed the highest toxicity, with 70.00% larval mortality.