Conventional and volatile pyrethroids are widely used to control the vectors of dengue arboviral diseases, Aedes albopictus in China. The development of resistance to conventional pyrethroids has become an increasing problem, potentially affecting the use of volatile pyrethroid. The Ae. albopictus dimefluthrin-resistant (R) strain by selecting the field population with dimefluthrin were investigated the multiple and cross-resistance levels between conventional and volatile pyrethroids and analyzed both target-site and metabolic resistant mechanisms to dimefluthrin compared with three volatile pyrethroids metofluthrin, meperfluthrin and esbiothrin and type II pyrethroid deltamethrin. The R strain displayed moderate to low resistance to selected pyrethroids (dimefluthrin, metofluthrin, meperfluthrin, esbiothrin and deltamethrin) associated with metabolic enzymes, but less distinctly to selected pyrethroids (dimefluthrin and metofluthrin) associated with a high frequency of sodium channel gene mutation (F1534S). Profiles of the multiple and cross-resistance of the R strain to other three volatile pyrethroids and type II pyrethroid deltamethrin were detected. Both synergistic and enzyme activity studies indicated that multifunctional oxidase (MFO) played an important role in this resistance. [Display omitted] • First report of insecticide resistance against five pyrethroids in Ae. albopictus from southern China. • Involvement of metabolic detoxifying enzymes behind observed resistance reported. • A high frequency of sodium channel gene mutation (F1534S) was detected. • Both insecticide resistance mechanisms represents a limiting factor in the success of the control of Ae. Albopictus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]