Both the initial and residual activities of 18 organophosphorus insecticides, 5 synthetic pyrethroids, 2 carbamates and 2 tertiary amines on the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) were determined. All the synthetic pyrethroids exhibited good initial activities but followed with poor residual effects. Two tertiary amines and carbofuran have similar residual activities except the strengths were different. Methomyl showed no initial action as well as residual effect. The organophosphorus insecticides were the largest chemical group subjected to the test and they demonstrated various action patterns. Some of them showed high initial and residual activities but others were not. The impacts of insecticide resistance on the effect of inse...