Resistance of Anopheles gambiae to the new insecticide clothianidin associated with unrestricted use of agricultural neonicotinoids in Yaounde, Cameroon

Chronic exposure of mosquito larvae to pesticide residues in agricultural areas is often associated with evolution of resistance to insecticides used for vector control. This presents a concern for the efficacy of clothianidin, an agricultural neonicotinoid qualified for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). Using standard bioassays, we tested if reduced susceptibility to clothianidin affects the efficacy of SumiShield(R) 50WG, one of the two newly approved formulations, which contains 50% clothianidin. We simultaneously monitored susceptibility to clothianidin and to SumiShield(R) 50WG, testing adults of Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii and Culex sp collected from urban, suburban and agricultural areas of Yaounde. We found that the level of susceptibility to the active ingredient predicted the efficacy of SumiShield(R) 50WG. This formulation was very potent against populations that achieved 100% mortality within 72 h of exposure to a discriminating dose of clothianidin. By contrast, mortality leveled off at 75.4 {+/-} 3.5 % within 7 days of exposure to SumiShield(R) 50WG in An. gambiae adults collected from a farm where spraying of acetamiprid and imidacloprid is driving cross-resistance to clothianidin. These findings indicate that more potent formulations of clothianidin or different insecticides should be prioritized in areas where resistance is emerging.