Shifting focus from the population to the individual as a way forward in understanding, predicting and managing the complexities of evolution of resistance to pesticides

The evolution of resistance to pesticides is often conceptualised and modelled at a population level, but population-based approaches ignore important aspects of variability between individuals within populations that may be essential drivers of resistance. Here it is argued that individual-based modelling has the potential to generate new insights and perspectives, thus deepening our understanding of the complexities of the evolutionary dynamics of resistance to pesticides. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.