Measurement of insect mass based on ellipsoid scattering model

Abstract

Insect migration influences population dynamics, provides ecosystem services, causes heavy crop damages and spreads diseases. The identification of insect migrants is critically important for the study of insect migration. Radar is an effective means of detecting nocturnal insect migrants. The mass, body shape and wingbeat frequency could be measured by the special-purpose entomological radar. These features are potentially valuable for species identification. This paper proposed a method to extract the mass of migratory insects based on ellipsoid scattering model. This model was used to approximate the small insects in the Rayleigh region, and then the inversion formula of the mass was developed based on ellipsoid scattering characteristics. Finally, through analysing statistical data of insect migrants, the formula was modified to fit small migratory insects. The root mean square percent error is 34.92% for estimates of mass. The given method can promote the species identification and biomass quantification of over-flying migratory insects, so as to study the role of insect migration in ecosystems and the pest control.