Optimal control in a multistage physiologically structured insect population model

Abstract

We present an age- and stage-structured population model to study some methods of control of one of the most important grapevine pests, the European grapevine moth. We consider control by insecticides that reduce either the proportion of surviving eggs, larvae or both, as well as chemicals that cause mating disruption, thereby reducing the number of eggs laid. We formulate optimal control problems with cost functionals related to real-life costs in the wine industry, and we prove that these problems admit a unique solution. We also provide some numerical examples from simulation.