INHERITANCE OF INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE AND MICROSOMAL OXIDASES IN THE DIAMONDBACK MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA, YPONOMEUTIDAE)

A strain of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), collected from cabbage fields in Hastings, FL, developed high levels of resistan ce to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides compared with a susceptibl e strain. Resistance to permethrin was inherited as an incompletely re cessive, autosomal factor, whereas resistance to methomyl was inherite d in an incompletely dominant, autosomal manner. The resistance was as sociated with increased microsomal oxidase activities in this strain. The F1 progeny of the susceptible and resistant strains displayed inte rmediate levels of microsomal epoxidase and O-demethylase activities c ompared with the two parental strains.