The mechanisms of organophosphate and carbamate resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Cuba

Abstract Two field-collected strains of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, collected 50 km apart in Havana City, Cuba, were both resistant to malathion and propoxur, while one population also showed low level resistance to temephos. Laboratory selection of the latter population with malathion for 22 generations increased the malathion resistance 1050-fold, temephos resistance 24-fold and propoxur resistance 453-fold compared to the standard laboratory susceptible strain. Synergist studies and biochemical tests indicated that two mechanisms, an elevated esterase and an insensitive acetylcholinesterase, were operative in these strains. The esterase mechanism conferred resistance to malathion, but not to temephos or propoxur. The acetylcholinesterase mechanism increased the level of malathion resistance and extended the cross-resistance spectrum to temephos and propoxur.