General Theory For Population Dynamics of Parasitoid-Host Systems

小行星9420286 本研究将为连续繁殖和发育的昆虫寄主-寄生蜂相互作用的种群动态发展理论。 它将集中在机制，依赖于主机的发展阶段，攻击（阶段结构化的过程）或生理状态的搜索寄生虫（状态依赖的过程），或两者兼而有之。 直到最近，建模技术才发展到可以将这些类型的机制实际地纳入人口动态模型的地步。 研究的目的是（1）深入了解阶段结构的寄生虫-宿主系统中过程的动力学效应，（2）通过显示明显不同的机制如何具有相似的动力学结果来获得普遍性，（3）将最近关于寄生虫最佳行为的进化思想纳入种群动力学，（4）解释观察到的动力学模式并提醒我们潜在的新模式。 大约10%的后生动物是寄生虫。 它们在许多自然群落中很重要，在过去的100年里一直作为环境安全且通常高效的杀虫剂用于农业控制害虫。 研究结果将深入了解驱动这种寄生虫-宿主系统动态的过程和机制。 此外，他们将汇集人口动态和最近的想法，并深入了解，寄生虫行为的进化基础。

9420286 Murdoch This research will develop theory for the population dynamics of insect host-parasitoid interactions for species with continuous reproduction and development. It will concentrate on mechanisms that depend on either the host developmental stage that is attacked (stage-structured processes) or the physiological state of the searching parasitoid (state-dependent processes), or on both. Only recently have modeling techniques advanced to the point that these types of mechanisms can be realistically incorporated into population dynamic models. The goals of the research are (1) to get insight into the dynamical effects of processes seen in stage-structured parasitoid-host systems, (2) to obtain generality by showing how apparently different mechanisms have similar dynamical consequences, (3) to incorporate into population dynamics recent evolutionary ideas about optimal parasitoid behavior, and (4) to explain observed dynamical patterns and alert us to potential new patterns. About 10% of all metazoan species are parasitoids. They are important in many natural communities and have been used in agriculture over the past 100 years as environmentally safe, and frequently highly effective, agents for controlling insect pests. The results will give insight into the processes and mechanisms driving the dynamics of such parasitoid-host systems. In addition, they will bring together population dynamics and recent ideas on, and insights into, the evolutionary basis for parasitoid behavior.