Regulation of Population Density in the Camphor Leaf Miner

Abstract

In this paper, a regulatory process for population density of the camphor leaf miner population in a camphor tree crown is analyzed. 1. Larval mortalities increased with a rise in the number of eggs deposited per leaf. This density dependent process is caused mostly by carnivalism and plays an important role in population regulation. 2. In low densities, the distribution pattern of eggs deposited per leaf is underdispersed, and in high densities, it is overdispersed. Thus, the distribution pattern of this insect larvae promotes the regulatory process. 3. Full grwon larvae make cocoons beneath the underside of a leaf. When a cocoon is made beneath the leaf that is already occupied by larvae of the same species, the leaf and cocoon gets blown away by wind before any emergency can occur. At high densities, the rate of cocoon that gets blown away is increased, and the mortality of pupae also increases. 4. With increasing adult density, the number of eggs deposited per adult decreases and the total number of hatched larvae increases to some extent and an equilibrium level is generally maintained. 5. Thus, when one of these density dependencies operates in some developmental stage, the population density could be regulated.