## 1 Introduction  
Corn (_Zen mays_ L. (Poaaceae)) is one of the most important crops worldwide due to its high nutritional value, its use as a raw material to produce processed products (e.g., flour, starch, oil, and syrup), and its use as food for cattle [1, 2]. The global production of this grain is over one billion metric tons per year, and maize for dry grain is grown on 197 M Ha around the world [3]. For these reasons, a decrease in crop production can mean a problem for food security worldwide, with diseases and pests being the main agents responsible for this impact [4, 5]. Among the pests that affect this crop, such as birds, rodents, and arthropods, insects stand out, of which the genus _Spodoptera_ includes several species that can seriously affect the crop (e.g., _Spodoptera exigua_, _Spodoptera litteralis_, and _S. frugiperda_) due to the fact that their infestations can cause total losses for the plantations [6, 7]. _S. frugiperda_ is an insect of the order Lepidoptera and a member of the Noctuidae family, which is native to America [8]; however, its presence has also been reported in Africa, Asia, Europe [9], and, recently, in Oceania [10]. Therefore, it is considered one of the most important pests of this crop [7; 11; 12]. Synthetic chemical insecticides are the most-used method to control the damage caused by this pest, which mainly belong to the groups of organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Due to the indiscriminate use of these products, this insect has been able to develop resistance [13; 14]. In addition, these chemicals can have negative effects on human health, causing diseases such as cancer or poisoning that can cause death [15], and contribute to the contamination of soil and surface and underground water bodies [16; 17; 18; 19]. Among the alternatives proposed to reduce the use of synthetic insecticides, the application of products made from botanical extracts is an effective option for the control of _S. frugiperda_[20]. Some of the extracts that present insecticidal and insecticatic activities against this pest include those obtained from _Nicotiana tabacum_ L. (Solanaceae), _Cymbopogon citratus_ DC. (Poaceae), _Azadirachta indica_ A. [PERSON]. (Meliaceae), _Lippira javanica_ Burm f. (Verbenaceae), and _Ricinus communis_ L. (Euphoriaceae) [21; 22]. _R. communis_ is a plant which is native to Africa and distributed worldwide, from which various compounds have been isolated, including fatty acids, coumarins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and flavonoids [23; 24]. Notably, rich from the group of alkaloids and the compounds kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranose from the group of flavonoids have been shown to possess insecticidal and insecticatic potential in a large number of insects, as in the case of _S. frugiperda_[25; 26; 27]. The insecticide activity of pesticides is mostly due to the inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, causing an interruption in the transmission of nerve impulses which leads to muscle convulsions, paralysis, and poisoning by an acetylcholine excess [28; 29]. Natural compounds such as alkaloids, terpenoids, coumarins, phenolics, and flavonoids have displayed inhibitory activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme [30; 31; 32]. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in _R. communis_, has demonstrated acetylcholinesterase-cholinesterase inhibition through in vitro assays [33]. These secondary metabolites, such as kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranose, can be obtained in their aglycone forms through extraction techniques that involve acid hydrolysis processes [25; 34]. Therefore, the aim of this project is to evaluate the insecticidal and insecticatic capacities of methanolic and hydrolyzed methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of _R. communis_ and kaempferol against _S. frugiperda_ larvae.