Pirimicarb resistance in the melon and cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover

SUMMARY The resistance to pirimicarb of populations of Aphis gossypii Glover from several glasshouses in England was studied in the laboratory by topical applications of insecticide and by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing of aphid esterases. When compared with a known susceptible population, the aphids were found to be resistant to pirimicarb. Esterase patterns produced from resistant populations by poly‐acrylamide gel and starch gel electrophoresis and by isoelectric focusing consistently differed in both numbers of bands and migration rates from the susceptible type. Resistant A. gossypii were found infesting only chrysanthemums and would not transfer to cucumber, the host of the susceptible population.