Life Table and Reproductive Traits of Eumerus obliquus (Diptera: Syrphidae) Reared in Captivity

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on Eumerus obliquus (Fabricius, 1805) (Diptera: Syrphidae) and aims to enhance the understanding of the life history of the genus Eumerus through an analysis of its life cycle and population parameters. The research was conducted using the ‘age‐stage, two‐sex life table’ approach. Several key biological and demographic parameters were obtained, enabling the estimation of population dynamics under controlled artificial rearing conditions. The results revealed a positive population growth trend (e.g., intrinsic rate of increase: 0.08 day ⁻¹ ). The larval stage was identified as the most critical phase in the captive rearing process employed, exhibiting the highest mortality. On average, preadult development lasted 32.5 days, and adult longevity was 22.31 days, with no differences shown between both sexes. Mean fecundity was 258.2 eggs per female, with a maximum of 135 eggs laid in a single day and 885 over a female's lifetime. Notably, only one female failed to oviposit during the experiment. The preoviposition period (APOP) was 4.4 days. Overall, E. obliquus responded favourably to the rearing protocol, and the results obtained with the age‐stage, two‐sex life table method are consistent with the species' expansive character, as it continues to extend its distribution range globally.