Progress in physiological studies of insecticide resistance

This study deals first with the progress recently made in investigations on the mode of toxic insecticidal action of DDT, lindane and other chlorinated hydrocarbons, pyrethrins and related chemicals, and organo-phosphates, and secondly with resistance mechanisms to the same insecticides.The author feels that, although good progress is being made towards understanding the physiological mechanisms of resistance, the gaps in present knowledge, the types of insecticide to which resistance is developing, and the number of medically important species involved lead inevitably to the conclusion that the general outlook for insect control is deteriorating. He considers that what is now needed is not so much continuation of the present empirical approach to the problem of resistance as intensification of basic studies of the biology, ecology and physiology of the insect species concerned to provide a foundation for more rational alternative control measures.