Resistance of Bemisia tabaci to buprofezin detected
Studies in the UK revealed that Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) can develop resistance against buprofezin, an insect growth regulator introduced in the 1980s for the control of whiteflies. A glasshouse-collected population of B. tabaci which underwent intensive buprofezin treatments (22 times in the previous 18 months) was assessed regarding its susceptibility to the insecticide. It was found that the population exhibited a high (75 fold) tolerance to buprofezin.
The authors concluded that B. tabaci is a highly adaptable species and that chemical control measures have to be applied in moderation and under the full use of all novel control agents to avoid exacerbating resistance problems.
Sources
Cahill, M.; Denholm, I. (1993) Detection of resistance to buprofezin in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.
Resistant Pest Management Vol. 5 (1), p. 42