The spread of resistance to imidacloprid is restricted by thermotolerance in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Imidacloprid, the world’s most used insecticide, has caused considerable controversy due to harmful effects on non-pest species and increasing evidence showing that insecticides have become the primary selective force in many insect species. The genetic response to insecticides is heterogeneous across populations and environments, leading to more complex patterns of genetic variation than previously thought. This motivated the investigation of imidacloprid resistance at different temperatures in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster originating from four climate extremes replicated across two continents. Population and quantitative genomic analysis, supported by functional tests, have revealed a mixed genetic architecture to resistance involving major genes (Paramyosin and Nicotinic-Acetylcholine Receptor Alpha 3) and polygenes with a major trade-off with thermotolerance. Reduced genetic differentiation at resistance-associated loci indicated enhanced gene flow at these loci. Resistance alleles showed stronger evidence of positive selection in temperate populations compared to tropical populations in which chromosomal inversions In(2 L)t, In(3 R)Mo and In(3 R)Payne harbour susceptibility alleles. Polygenic architecture and ecological factors should be considered when developing sustainable management strategies for both pest and beneficial insects.