Demographic Analysis of Insect Mass Rearing: A Case Study of Three Tephritids

Abstract

We examine mass-production strategies for insects, using life table techniques. Harvesting of target stages and discarding of reproductives are viewed simply as the imposition of new mortality rates on a population. Demographic formulae are given for computing production rates and stage relations within a rearing facility and for determining age and size structure in released, sterile populations. The methods are applied to data relating to the rearing of three tephritid fruit flies—Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Dacus dorsalis Hendel, and D. cucurbitae Coquillet. Both specific and general implications of the findings are briefly discussed.