Behavioural ecology and population dynamics of the banana weevil Cosmoplites sordidus

 

I assessed the effects of an individual’s sex and the density and sex ratio of conspecifics in the local and neighboring environment on the movement probability of C. sordidus. Local and neighboring densities of conspecifics affect the movement rates of individuals. This density-dependent effect can be either positive or negative depending on the relative densities of conspecifics in local and neighboring patches. The sex ratio also influences the movement of C. sordidus, that is, the weevil exhibits nonfixed sex-biased movement strategies. Sex-biased movement may be the consequence of intrasexual competition for resources (i.e., oviposition sites) in females and for mates in males.