Susceptibility of two French strains of stable flies Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) to six insecticides was assayed, using an exposure technique (1-hour contact) with treated filter papers. Three replicates per insecticide, per concentration (10 concentrations per insecticide), per fly strain (ENVT, Cabanac) and fly category (blood-engorged - non-blood-engorged) were performed using a total of 14,400 adult flies in this trial. The LD50 and LD90 are higher for the blood-engorged flies than the non-blood-engorged flies for both strains of S. calcitrans. The LD90 (mg/m(2)) of the engorged flies for both strains were respectively: cypermethrin (637.9, 54.9), deltamethrin (264.3, 28.1), fenvalerate (2392.5, 125.1), lambda-cyhalothrin (118.2, 41.3), permethrin (353.7, 88.1), and phoxim (194, 226.8). Phoxim, which has not been used in the ENVT for several years, showed the same susceptibility for both strains. The LD90 values obtained for the Cabanac strain (organic farm) were 1 to 4 times lower than the recommended doses of all five pyrethroids. For the ENVT strain (blood-engorged flies), the LD90 was 7.1 and 22.6 times over the recommended doses of both deltamethrin and fenvalerate respectively, which are commonly used insecticides on this site.