abstract essential oils from aerial parts of nepeta cephalotes boiss., n. bornmuelleri hausskn. ex bornm., n. mirzayanii rech. f. et esfand. and n. bracteata benth. were obtained by hydrodistillation. the oils were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography, using fame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. eight components were identified in the oil of n. cephalotes with 4a,7,7a-nepetalactone (90.1%) and -pinene (7.5%) as main constituents. twenty-eight compounds were identified in the oil of n. bornmuelleri with 4a,7,7a-nepetalactone (64.0%) and 1,8-cineole (7.1%) as main components. twenty-two compounds were characterized in the oil of n. mirzayanii with 4a,7,7a-nepetalactone (61.0%) and caryophyllene oxide (7.8%) as main constituents. twenty-eight compounds were characterized in the oil of n. bracteata with spathulenol (14.0%), caryophyllene oxide (12.3%), bicyclogermacrene (11.4%) and -caryophyllene (11.2%) as main constituents. the results showed the nepetalactone isomers were the main components of the oils of n. cephalotes, n. bornmuelleri and n. mirzayanii. the oil of n. bracteata consisted of mainly of sesquiterpenes, while nepetalactone was not detected in this oil. key word index: nepeta cephalotes nepeta bornmuelleri nepeta mirzayanii nepeta bracteata labiataeessential oil composition4a,7,7a-nepetalactone4a,7,7a-nepetalactonespathulenolcaryophyllene oxidebicyclogermacrene-caryophyllene