Selection for and against insecticide resistance and possible methods of inhibiting the evolution of resistance in mosquitoes

Abstract

Abstract. 1. From published data on the rate of build‐up of insecticide resistance in wild populations of Anopheles culicifacies and An.stephensi , calculations have been made of the coefficients of selection which would be required to produce these rates of evolution. It is assumed in turn that the resistances might be effectively dominant, recessive or intermediate. 2. The results in the case of DDT resistance in An.culicifacies indicated that the fitness of resistant individuals was 1.28–1.51 × that of susceptibles. 3. Published data have also been examined with reference to the reversions towards susceptibility which occurred when spraying has been withdrawn. The coefficients of selection against resistance, which would be required to produce the observed rates of reversion, have been calculated. In the case of An.culicifacies and DDT these coefficients were found to be inversely related to the initial frequency of the susceptibility gene. 4. The coefficients of selection have been used to assess the feasibility of inhibiting the evolution of resistance by spraying different insecticides in the alternate sectors of a grid pattern and/or periodically releasing susceptible males. If the proportion of migrants from sector to sector were 15–30%, a “grid” system would considerably reduce the rate of evolution of resistance, but to prevent resistance from ultimately building up to high levels periodic releases would also be required. These releases need not be frequent (approximately during one month each year) if resistance is effectively recessive in the field.