Variation in level of resistance to malathion was measured in six field-collected strains of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), of diverse geographic origins. Levels of resistance ranged from 3.6- to lll-fold. In all cases, resistance was controlled by closely linked alleles in the sixth linkage group at or near the Rmal locus. Two incompletely dominant alleles at this locus, Rmal-l and Rmal-2, conferring high and low resistance, respectively, were resolved and purified. Expression of both alleles was found to be relatively independent of genetic background. The Rmal-l allele was intrinsically stable (fit) in laboratory populations when placed in competition with the wild-type (susceptible) allele over six generations.
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Beeman et al. (1986) studied this question.