Tipping the Balance: Allee Thresholds, Saddle-Node Bifurcations, and Optimal Sterile-Male Release Strategies for Anopheles Mosquitoes (opens in new tab)

We formulate and analyze a sex- and stage-structured model for Anopheles dynamics under the sterile insect technique (SIT), motivated by the need for tools robust to insecticide resistance and outdoor transmission. The model tracks aquatic stages, adult males, unmated females, and females mated with wild or sterile males; includes egg-laying capacity and larval competition; and uses a refractory period followed by density-dependent mate search. ...