AbstractBACKGROUNDFrankliniella occidentalis is a worldwide economically important pest. Scarcity of effective products and cross‐resistance issues make resistance to existing insecticides a recurring problem that requires the development of new control tools, such as incorporating novel compounds. Lethal effects of cyantraniliprole on adults and larvae from field and insecticide‐resistant populations were evaluated. In addition, the sublethal effects on biological features such as fecundity, fertility, feeding, oviposition and mating were studied.RESULTSResults obtained for larvae produced LC50 values ranging from 33.4 to 109.2 mg L−1, with a low natural variability (3.3‐fold) and a LC50 composite value of 52.2 mg L−1. The susceptibility for adults was 23‐fold lower than for larvae. No evidence of cross‐resistance between cyantraniliprole and established insecticides used against thrips was evident. Relevant sublethal effects of cyantraniliprole were demonstrated, including reduced fecundity, fertility, feeding, oviposition and mating success.CONCLUSIONLow variation in susceptibility across contemporary populations of F. occidentalis and a lack of cross‐resistance to other insecticides indicate that cyantraniliprole is a potential candidate in rotation programmes within an insecticide resistance management strategy. The combined sublethal effect on reproduction will have an important impact on population reduction. Available data indicate that cyantraniliprole is likely to be a valuable tool for managing thrips populations. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry