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Resistances of 33- and 27-fold to the pyrethroids fenvalerate and deltamethrin, respectively, have been induced in larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) by selection of two subcolonies of a field population in the laboratory. Selected strains showed relatively high levels of resistance (11- to 36-fold) to all the tested pyrethroids, moderate levels of cross-resistance (3- to 13-fold) to DDT and the carbamate aminocarb, and a slight increase in tolerance levels to endrin and lindane. The pyrethroid-resistant strains, by contrast, manifested no cross-resistance to the organophosphorus compounds that were tested. Moreover, a negative crossresistance was observed in the pyrethroid-resistant strains to dicrotophos, methamidophos and the carbamate methomyl.

Acetylocholine, arecoline, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acetate, L-glutamic acid, L-4-methyl-eneglutamic acid, (±)-quisqualic acid, 4-aminobutyric acid, and dicrotophos were injected into the haemocoel of adult male Lucilia sericata. Large doses of the putative transmitters and their analogues were required for toxicity. The water soluble organo-phosphate dicrotophos was much more toxic than any of the other compounds. Electrophysiological experiments indicated that the putative transmitters were reaching their presumed site of action in the nervous system and that their toxicity could be correlated with the intensity and duration of their effect at this site. Biochemical measurements of the rate of loss of the putative transmitters from the haemolymph indicate that, in vivo, the test insect possesses efficient mechanisms for removing these compounds from the system being studied. It is concluded that the low toxicity of the putative transmitters, which are presumed to interact reversibly with post synaptic receptor sites, may be largely due to their rapid removal from the system, resulting in a rapid fall in concentration at the receptor site.

Two groups of insecticides were screened against the cacao mirid, S. singularis in small-scale field trials from September 1969 to January 1972. In first group 0.05% promecarb, 0.04% phosphamidon and 0.02% monocrotophos were equally effective and superior to 0.05% mecarbam in the three days after spraying but 0.05% promecarb was most toxic to bugs by the seventh day. In the 0.15 to 0.2% range, all four insecticides showed similar toxicity within 3 days of spraying but only 0.15% mecarbam and 0.2% promecarb maintained control to the seventh day. For mecarbam, phosphamidon and monocrotophos, control at 0.15% was better than at 0.05, 0.04 and 0.02% respectively 7 days after spray whilst 0.2% was superior to 0.05% promecarb 2 days after spray and not afterwards. At either 0.21 or 0.33 lb/acre insecticides in the second group (pirimiphos methyl, HOE 2960, CA 6900 and dicrotophos) gave identical level of control of mirids and control at the latter dosage rate was not better than at the former. There was no significant difference between 3 and 4 oz a.i./10 gal water/200 trees in toxicity to mirids and the insecticides gave equally good control of the bugs at both dosage levels till 35th day after spray. On the basis of efficacy and safety of use, promecarb CA 6900 and pirimiphos methyl were deemed suitable for further (large scale) trials.