INHERITANCE OF METABOLIC RESISTANCE TO THE SYNTHETIC PYRETHROIDS IN AUSTRALIAN HELICOVERPA-ARMIGERA (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE)

Two strains of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), resistant to synthetic pyrethroids, were isolated from field populations collected in the irrigated cotton growing areas of northern New South Wales: an isofemale strain, Mfo, and a composite field strain, Field. A series of crosses were undertaken between the Mfo and susceptible strains to determine the genetic basis of the resistance. Dose-responses were obtained by bioassay using topical application of fenvalerate in acetone. Considerable variation in tolerance was observed in both resistant and susceptible strains. In the Mfo strain, the major shift in resistance phenotype (33-fold resistance) was due to a single major gene with incomplete dominance. The resistance phenotype was not diluted by 23 generations of backcrossing. The major resistance phenotype could be eliminated almost completely by the addition of piperonyl butoxide which affects oxidative breakdown of the pyrethroids by mixed function oxidase (mfo) enzymes. Similar results were observed in the Field strain. Monitoring for resistance in field populations will be imprecise because a true discriminating dose does not exist for susceptible and heterozygous resistant individuals.