Mortality dynamics of insects: General principles derived from aging research on the Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Although mortality arguably is the most widespread empirical measure in entomology, it is poorly understood in a broader life table context. In this article, we describe 10 general principles of mortality derived from the results of previous research on age-specific mortality in large cohorts of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). These principles include slowing of mortality at older ages, mortality crossovers, costs of reproduction, density effects, two-mode aging rates, life span indeterminacy, and subdetectable mortality. Both practical and conceptual implications concerning the use of mortality in entomologica] research are discussed.