Synthetic pesticides are often associated with issues such as pest resistance, persistent residue, nontarget toxicity, and environmental issues. Therefore, the research and development of novel, safe, and effective pesticides has become a focus in pesticide discovery. Monoterpenes are secondary plant metabolites that commonly have multiple action targets and have been used in aromatherapy, alternative medicine, and food industries. Some are highly potent and stereoselective. They can potentially be botanical pesticides and serve as lead candidates for the design and synthesis of new monoterpenoid pesticides for agricultural applications. This article reviews publications and patents found in SciFinder Scholar between 2000 and May 2021 on monoterpenes and mainly focuses on pesticidal activities of frequently studied monoterpenes and their modes of action. The presented information and our views are hopefully useful for the development of monoterpenes as biopesticides and monoterpenoid pesticides.
Keywords: biopesticides; mode of action; monoterpene; pest control; pesticide.