The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, is a worldwide agricultural pest of crucifer crops. Populations of DBM have reportedly developed resistance to all major classes of insecticide and are often the first crop pest to develop resistance to new synthetic insecticides, making it not only a serious agricultural pest, but also an interesting model for the study of insecticide resistance mechanisms in arthropod pests. It is important to understand these mechanisms to aid in the development of integrated pest management and insecticide rotation programs.

DBM has become a serious pest of crucifer crops in Hawaii where it has developed a high frequency of resistance to indoxacarb, a synthetic oxadiazine insecticide. The genetic basis of resistance to indoxacarb is unknown. Using differential expression analysis of RNA sequence data, whole genome resequencing of resistant and susceptible individuals, as well as analysing genetic crosses, this project aims to provide a better understanding of the mechanism(s) of indoxacarb resistance in the highly-resistant Hawaiian ‘Waipio’ strain.