In a study of the population density of apple maggot flies, 150 flies are captured and marked in the first sample. Two days later, 300 flies are captured, 15 of which have marks. Based on these results, the estimated number of apple maggot flies in this population would be

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The capture-recapture method assumes that the proportion of marked individuals in the second sample is equal to the proportion of marked individuals in the entire population. In this case, the proportion of marked individuals in the second sample is 15/300 = 0.05. We can set up a proportion:

150/x = 0.05/1

Where x is the estimated population size. Solving for x, we get:

x = 150/0.05 = 3000

Therefore, the estimated number of apple maggot flies in this population is 3000.

In a Study of the Population Density of Apple Maggot