Monitoring of beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) resistance to chlorantraniliprole in China

► Wide variation of tolerance to chlorantraniliprole was observed in field collected populations of Spodoptera exigua. ► Laboratory selection with chlorantraniliprole for 23 generation resulted in 11.8-fold increase in resistance. ► Laboratory selection resulted in increase of MFO and esterase activities. ► Detoxification enzymes might not be involved in the resistance in beet armyworm.