PEST INSECT POPULATION DYNAMICS

The population dynamics of pest insects is a subject of interest to farmers, agricultural

economists, ecologists, and those concerned with animal welfare.

Factors affecting populations

Density-independent: Affect a population equally regardless of its density :
Density-dependent: Affect a population more or less as the population is bigger.

Life tables
A life table shows how and how many insects die as they mature from eggs to adults.
It helps with pest control by identifying at what life stage pest insects are most vulnerable and
how mortality can be increased. Following is an example of a cohort life table based on field
data from Vargas and Nishida (1980)

Life table for corn earworm Heliothis zea, 10 Oct. 1976 to 20 Nov. 1976, adapted from
Vargas and Nishida (1980).
Proportion
Proportion of
Number of original Mortality
Stage Number original
alive at Cause of mortality cohort rate at this
() dying cohort dying
stage ( ax ) surviving step ( qx )
( dx )
( lx)
Trichogramma
Egg 1000 confusum wasp 386 1 .386 .386
parasitism
Orius
Egg 614 insidiosus predation 232 .614 .232 .378
and unknown
O. insidiosus,
Larva
382 cannibalism, and 90 .382 .090 .236
1
unknown
Larva Cannibalism and
292 59 .292 .059 .202
2 unknown
Larva Cannibalism and
233 34 .233 .034 .146
3 unknown
Cannibalism, disease,
Larva
199 parasitism, and 59 .199 .059 .296
4
unknown
 Cannibalism, disease,
Larva
140 parasitism, and 69 .140 .069 .493
5
unknown
Cannibalism, disease,
Larva
71 parasitism, and 1 .071 .001 .014
6
unknown
Pupa 70 Disease and unknown 18 .070 .018 0.257
52 (28 male,
Adult .052
24 female)

Growth models
In general, population growth roughly follows one of these trends:
Logistic growth leveling out at some carrying capacity.
Overshoot ("boom" and "bust" cycles).
Oscillation at or below the carrying capacity.
Insect pest growth rates are heavily influenced by temperature and rainfall, among other
variables. Sometimes pest populations grow rapidly and become outbreaks

Degree-day calculations
Because insects are ectothermic, "temperature is probably the single most important
environmental factor influencing insect behavior, distribution, development, survival, and
reproduction." As a result, growing degree-days are commonly used to estimate insect
development, often relative to a biofix point, is a biological milestone, such as when the
insect comes out of pupation in spring. Degree-days can help with pest control.

Repeated outbreak cycles

Understanding life-cycle dynamics is relevant for pest control because some
insecticides only work at one or two life stages of the insect.

Impact of climate change

Temperature change is argued to be the biggest direct abiotic impact of climate
change on herbivorous insects. In temperate regions, global warming will affect
overwintering, and warmer temperatures will extend the summer season, allowing for more
growth and reproduction.