Insect pest control has continuously evolved from inorganics to botanicals, to chlo- rinated hydrocarbons, to organophosphorus compounds and methylcarbamates, then synthetic pyrethroids and most recently synthetic nicotinoids as the major classes. These insecticides allowed high standards of crop protection at minimal cost. A limitation in each new class of compounds is the selection of resistant strains and ultimate control failures and this serves as a driving force to discover and develop replacement compounds to circumvent resistance and overcome problem areas. The nicotinoids now play a...

Insect pest control has continuously evolved from inorganics to botanicals, to chlo rinated hydrocarbons, to organophosphorus compounds and methylcarbamates, then synthetic pyrethroids and most recently synthetic nicotinoids as the major classes. These insecticides allowed high standards of crop protection at minimal cost. A limitation in each new class of compounds is the selection of resistant strains and ultimate control failures and this serves as a driving force to discover and develop replacement compounds to circumvent resistance and overcome problem areas. The nicotinoids now play a...