Insecticide resistance of Culex pipiens (L.) populations (Diptera: Culicidae) from Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia: Status and overcome

Three field populations of Cx. pipiens (L.) mosquitoes were collected from three different localities in Riyadh city. They were tested for developing resistance against commonly used insecticides to control mosquitoes in Riyadh. Two populations from Wadi Namar (WN1 and WN2) were highly resistant to deltamethrin (187.1- and 161.4-folds respectively). The field population from AL-Wadi district (AL-W) showed low resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin (3.8-folds) and moderate resistance to beta-cyfluthrin and bifenthrin (14- and 38.4-folds respectively). No resistance to fenitrothion was observed in WN1 population. Fenitrothion concentrations required to inhibit 50% of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in both WN1 population and the laboratory susceptible strain (S-LAB) were 0.073 and 0.078 ppm respectively. Piperonyl butoxide suppressed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides (>90%) in field populations indicating that oxidases and/or esterases play an important role in the reduction of pyrethroids toxicity. These results should be considered in the current mosquitoes control programs in Riyadh.