Bioassay for detecting active site insensitivity in horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae.

A bioassay was used to detect active site insensitivity (knock-down resistance [kdr]) in pyrethroid resistant larvae of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.). The larvae of the resistant population had KD50's 42.0-, 28.1- and 29.2-fold greater to permethrin, fenvalerate and lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively, compared with the susceptible population. In filter paper bioassays, resistant adult horn flies were 17 to 39.1 times less susceptible to the pyrethroids than susceptible adults at LC50. These results further document active site insensitivity as the major mechanism of pyrethroid resistance in the horn fly.