title: Insect-pathogen dynamics: stage-specific susceptibility and insect density dependence.
abstract: The control of insect pests by using insect pathogens as dynamic biological control agents is a recent effort. Model studies on insect-pathogen relations can help in the development of biocontrol programs. Except for the work of Briggs and Godfray [1], insect-pathogen models ignore the stage-specific susceptibility of insects. Moreover most models do not incorporate insect self-regulation. We develop stage-structured models of insect-pathogen relations incorporating insect-density dependence and disease transmitted through direct contact between susceptible and infective individuals. The models are analyzed by using steady-state and stability analysis. Numerical solutions are used as sources of further insight into the dynamics of the insect-pathogen systems. It is shown that there are major differences in the dynamics of adult- and juvenile-infecting diseases. Moreover, the interplay between insect-density dependence and stage-specific susceptibility has important consequences for the dynamics of insect-pathogen systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moerbeek
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van den Bosch
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D007300:Insect Control; D007313:Insecta / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012984:Software