Population dynamics of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae): experimental and theoretical studies at different temperatures

Abstract

In the present study, the population dynamics of M. domestica was evaluated at two different temperatures, 20 and 30ºC. The dynamics was modeled using a density-dependent model of population growth. The temperatures investigated in this study produced no qualitative change in terms of dynamic behaviour, i. e. the population dynamics of M. domestica was characterized by a stable equilibrium at both temperatures. However, the steady state was influenced by the results obtained at different temperatures. The difference between the eigenvalues obtained at the two temperatures was probably the cause of the difference between the distinct steady states. The implications of these results for the population dynamics of M. domestica are discussed.