The column fx in an insect life table is calculated for eggs produced at each stage by multiplying the number of eggs produced at that stage by the survival rate from the previous stage.
The formula for calculating the column fx is as follows:
fx = eggs * survival
There are different types of life tables and different terms are used. Many life tables do not include reproduction...they might just follow a single generation through time. But when they do ... mx is another (generally older) term for fx, both are usually defined as the stage or age- specific fecundity. Normally if you can rear the insect then determine the average no. of eggs oviposited per female over their life span. In that case fx (or mx) would equal the fecundity over that full life stage. You could record eggs produced for each day, as was done for Medfly for example, such that f1 = eggs produced on day 1, f2= eggs produced on day 2, etc... mx was the original term for egg production or fecundity. fx is used in matrix models and in more recent life tables that can be readily modeled using matrix methods.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Correction