Mechanisms of insecticide resistance in a temephos selected Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) strain from Sri Lanka

Culex quinquefasciatus Say from Peliyagoda, Sri Lanka, has larval resistance to temephos, malathion, fenitrothion and chlorpyrifos. Biochemical assays on individual resistant and susceptible mosquitoes of this strain showed that there was a good correlation between this resistance and increased esterase activity with both 1-and 2-naphthyl acetate, which appears to be the major resistance mechanism in this multiple organophosphate resistant strain. There was no significant difference in malaoxon, bendiocarb or propoxur sensitivity of the acetylcholinesterase from the resistant and susceptible strains, indicating that the sensitivity of the target site has not been altered. Biochemical assays on mass homogenates of the resistant and susceptible strains showed no correlation between resistance and the level of glutathione s-transferase activity, or the amount of cytochrome P450 present.