Insect growth regulator cross‐resistance studies in field‐ and laboratory‐selected strains of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract

Abstract Resistance to diflubenzuron in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, has rendered this insecticide incapable of preventing flystrike in sheep from a few districts in eastern Australia. Wool producers affected by this situation must find suitable alternatives to protect their flocks. Results of laboratory bioassays against one population demonstrated that, despite extremely high diflubenzuron resistance (Resistance Factor >791), it had only very low (2x) tolerance of cyromazine and dicyclanil. It is unlikely that this level of tolerance would have any practical impact on field control with either insecticide. Consequently, wool producers in districts where diflubenzuron‐resistant flies are common can rotate insecticide treatment to either of these compounds to prevent flystrike in their flocks. However, unlike the highly diflubenzuron‐resistant field strain, a laboratory strain selected for resistance to diflubenzuron (Resistance Factor = 617) was 10 times more resistant to dicyclanil than a susceptible strain but, like the field strain, was only two times more tolerant of cyromazine. Conversely, a field‐derived strain selected in the laboratory for cyromazine resistance was 20 times more resistant to dicyclanil and 362 times more resistant to diflubenzuron than the reference susceptible strain.