Malathion resistance in mosquitoes from Charleston and Georgetown counties of coastal South Carolina.

Susceptibility tests were conducted using the World Health Organization diagnostic test procedure on strains of Aedes taeniorhynchus, Aedes sollicitans, Aedes vexans, and Culex nigripalpus collected from several localities in Charleston and Georgetown counties of South Carolina. Aedes taeniorhynchus was resistant to malathion (mortality 1.0-54.4%) but not to propoxur, permethrin, or fenitrothion. There also were indications that Ae. sollicitans and Cx. nigripalpus were resistant to malathion, but to a lesser extent than Ae. taeniorhynchus (mortalities: 72.1-81.0%, and 46.2%, respectively). Aedes vexans was susceptible to malathion (mortality 98.6%). In field tests using ULV application of malathion and field-collected Ae. taeniorhynchus, and susceptible Ae. aegypti and Ae. taeniorhynchus, a noticeably lower mortality also was obtained in the wild mosquitoes.