Application of a marking‐and‐recapture method for the analysis of larval‐adult populations of an insect, Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

SummaryDifficulty arises in applying marking‐and‐recapture methods to insects when the probability of recapture of marked individuals is changed with advancing age, either due to detachment of the mark by moulting (in the case of larvae) or to changes in their survival rate or their behaviour. A modification of the re‐recapture method (Leslieet al., 1953) has been devised to analyze the capture‐recapture data of the 5th‐instar larvae and adults of Nezara viridula L. Estimation of the rate of moulting to the adult stage is made with the aid of additional information on larval survival. Migration rates of the larvae between the two halves of the census field is estimated byIwao's (1963) method. Through these analyses, the dynamic feature of the population during transition from the 5th instar to, adult is revealed. Several problems involved in the application of marking‐and‐recapture methods to insect populations are discussed.