The genetic basis of abamectin resistance was studied in a strain of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L), following laboratory selection of a field population collected at Xuanhua, Hebei Province, China. Data from the testing of F1 progeny from reciprocal crosses between abamectin-resistant and abamectin-susceptible strains indicated that resistance might be autosomal and incompletely recessive with a degree of dominance of -0.13. Chi-squared analyses from the response of a backcross of crossed F1 progeny and the resistant strain and F2 progeny were highly significant, suggesting that the resistance was probably controlled by more than one gene. The results of cross-resistance studies showed that there was little cross-resistance between abamectin and four pyrethroid insecticides (deltamethrin, beta-cypermethrin, fenvalerate and bifenthrin) and no cross-resistance between abamectin and the acylureas chlorfluazuron or flufenoxuron.