Census Studies on Unrestricted Populations of Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

Abstract

By a process of subdivision and food renewal at intervals of three weeks, an infinite universe was simulated for two years. The average increase of the populations, which were initiated by adults, was appreciably greater than the rate suggested by the innate capacity for increase whether the latter had been calculated from the censuses made every three weeks (by means of a briefly described model) or from age specific life and fertility data. No explanation for this discrepancy could be found although it is suggested that it could arise from a false assumption that variation between the developmental periods of individuals was Gaussian. At the end of the two years, the populations had, as expected, nearly attained stability in structure.