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Insecticide Resistance Management Fact Sheet An
Educational Initiative of the Insecticide
Resistance Action Committee and Southern Region
Integrated Pest Management Center
Stephen J. Toth, Jr., Department of Entomology,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
27695-7613
Introduction Insecticide resistance is a
reduction in the sensitivity of an insect
population to an insecticide . . . reflected in
repeated failure of an insecticide to achieve the
expected level of control of insects when used
according to the product label recommendations
and where problems of product storage,
application and unusual climatic or environmental
conditions can be eliminated as causes of
failure (1). There are several mechanisms
(behavioral, penetration, metabolic and altered
target site) by which insects can become
resistant to insecti-cides, and more than one
mechanism can contribute to insecticide
resistance at the same time.   It is
important for growers, agricultural consultants
and other pest managers to prevent or delay the
onset of insecticide resistance by developing an
insecticide resistance manage-ment (IRM) program.
A successful IRM program should include 1)
monitoring insect populations in the field (i.e.,
scout-ing) 2) employing economic thresholds for
insecticide treat-ment 3) taking an integrated
approach to managing pests (including biological,
chemical and cultural controls) 4) timing
insecticide applications to reach pests when they
are most vulnerable 5) mixing and applying
insecticides carefully and as recommended by the
manufacturers, crop consultants and university
scientists 6) protecting beneficial arthropods
to elicit their help in controlling pests 7)
preserving susceptible genes by providing
refuge areas for susceptible insects to survive
insecticide treatments and interbreed with
resistant insects and 8) avoiding the repeated
use of the same insecticide or insecti-cides with
similar modes of actions. The Insecticide
Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), form-ed by
the industry in 1984 to provide a coordinated
response to insect and mite resistance, developed
an insecticide/miticide mode of action
classification table and supporting materials in
an effort to help insecticide users manage
insecticide resis-tance through proper
alternation of insecticides from different
chemical classes. These materials can be found at
the IRAC web site at http//www.irac-online.org/
(Fig. 1).
In addition, the Center developed two
commodity-specific insecticide/miticide mode of
action classification tables (i.e., cotton and
landscapes) that can be downloaded from the
Centers web site and inserted into the fact
sheets. These commodity-specific tables are more
user friendly, containing only those
insecticide/miticide chemicals registered for use
on the commodity and including the product
(trade) names of the insecticides and miticides.
  Use of Insecticide Resistance Management Fact
Sheet The insecticide resistance management
fact sheets have been used in the Southern states
at field days, scouting schools, pesticide
applicator re-certification classes, IPM
train-ing schools and short courses, and
university classes (e.g., economic entomology).
Eventually, the information in the fact sheet
and insecticide/ miticide mode of action
classification tables will be adapted for and
incorporated into existing Extension and research
publica-tions (e.g., crop production, pest
management and scouting guides, agricultural
chemical recommendations, and IPM manuals) for
widespread distribution and use by growers,
consultants, and other pest managers in the
Southern U.S. Reference 1. Insecticide
Resistance Action Committee. 2004. Resistance
The Facts - History and Overview of Resistance.
10 pp. Acknowledgements Tom Anderson,
Graham Head, Caydee Savinelli, Bruce Stanley and
Gary Thompson (IRAC) and Jennifer Hodorowicz, Ron
Stinner and Jim VanKirk (Southern Region IPM
Center) are acknowledged for their support and
contributions to the production of the
insecticide resistance management fact sheet and
insecticide/miticide mode of action
classification table. The author is an
Extension Entomologist and Associate Director of
the Southern Region IPM Center at North Carolina
State University.
Development and Distribution of IRM Fact Sheet
The Southern Region Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) Center (Fig. 2), managed at North Carolina
State University, worked with the IRAC to develop
a stand-alone insecticide resistance management
fact sheet containing the insecticide/ miticide
mode of action classification table that can be
used by Land-grant university Extension
specialists and researchers and county Extension
agents in the South to educate growers,
agricultural consultants and others in managing
insecticide resistance.   Southern Region
IPM Center staff produced the camera-ready copy
of the fact sheet and the IRAC funded the
printing of 15,000 copies. The Center made an
electronic version of the fact sheet, in PDF
format (Fig. 3), available on the Centers web
site (http//www.sripmc.org/IRACMOA/) (Fig. 4)
and dis-tributed limited copies of fact sheet
(1,000 copies per state) to the Land-grant
university contacts in the thirteen states in the
Southern Region in January 2005.
VA
KY
NC
TN
OK
SC
AR
GA
AL
MS
LA
TX
FL
PR
VI

Fig. 2. Thirteen states and two U.S. territories
included in the Southern Region IPM Center. The
Center is one of four regional IPM centers funded
by the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Fig. 1. The Insecticide Resistance Action
Committee web site.
Fig. 4. The Southern Region IPM Center web site.
Fig. 3. The IRM fact sheet and mode of action
classification table.