BACKGROUND Resistance to pesticides is an evolutionary process that entails, in most cases, substantial consequences to the biology of the resistant populations. In this study we focus on the life history traits of the potato tuber moth Tecia solanivora, an invasive and voracious pest for which resistance to pyrethroid insecticides was recently reported. Marginally resistant and multiple‐resistant populations were selected from eight sampled localities in Colombia; the use of a fully susceptible population was not possible since none was recognized in the laboratory or field. The multiple‐resistant Siachoque population exhibited a 42‐fold resistance to the carbamate insecticide carbofuran, and low levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos, a trend observed in six of the eight tested populations. This population also exhibits 24‐fold resistance to permethrin. The marginally resistant population of Gualmatán showed 4‐fold resistance to chlorpyrifos. RESULTS The multiple‐resistant population exhibited a 3.8‐day shorter developmental time than the susceptible population, but with higher larval mortality. The peak of egg‐laying was delayed in the resistant population in 9 days and the population growth rate was lower than that of the susceptible population. CONCLUSION We hypothesize that the short developmental time of the multiple‐resistant population may be an adaptation to minimize exposure to insecticides, which are applied to the soil. This adaptation is likely to require the surviving adults to compensate for the smaller nutrient amounts accumulated by the larvae in investing part of its adult life in securing the necessary resources for late‐life egg production. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry