A Quantitative Measure of Aggregation in Insects1

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Abstract
Aggregation is both a statistical and fundamental biological characteristic of insects and other animals. The aggregative behavior of iionsocial as well as social insects has a direct bearing on reproduction and survival and thus affects population dynamics and evolutionary trends. Owing to the distinct lifestages of most insects, aggregation must be assessed throughout the entire lifecycle. The occurrence of insects in natural units of their habitats is best expressed as a frequency series. The negative binomial distribution has proved applicable to a wide range of insect counts, and its parameter k is a valid, readily computed measure of aggregation. Examples from hypothetical and natural populations demonstrate its utility. Use of the smallest feasible natural unit for sampling, multiple (nested) sampling, and stratification of the data by population density and other meaningful criteria will increase the accuracy and reliability of estimates of k.

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