A stage-structured predator-prey system with time delay (Q980430)

The authors study the following predator-prey model with stage structure for the prey and time delay \[ \begin{aligned} \dot x_1(t)&=ax_2(t)-(b+r_1)x_1(t),\\ \dot x_2(t)&=bx_1(t)-r_2 x_2(t)-b_1 x_2^2(t)-a_1x_2(t)y(t),\\ \dot y(t)&=a_2 x_2(t-\tau)y(t-\tau)-ry(t)-b_2 y^2(t), \end{aligned}\tag{1} \] where \(x_1(t)\) and \(x_2(t)\) represent the densities of the immature and mature prey at time \(t\), respectively; \(y(t)\) represents the density of the predator at time \(t\). The parameters \(a, a_1, a_2, b, b_1, b_2, r, r_1\) and \(r_2\) are positive constants, \(a\) is the birth rate of the prey, \(a_1\) is the capturing rate of the predator, \(a_2/a_1\) is the conversion rate of nutrients into the reproduction of the predator, \(b\) is the transformation rate from the immature prey to the mature prey, \(b_1(b_2)\) is the intra-specific competition rate of the mature prey (predator), \(r\) is the death rate of the predator, \(r_1(r_2)\) is the death rate of the immature (mature) prey. \(\tau\geq 0\) is a constant representing a time delay due to the gestation of the predator. The existence of Hopf bifurcations is established. Formulae are derived to determine the direction of bifurcations and the stability of bifurcating periodic solutions by using the normal form theory and center manifold theorem. Based on the global Hopf bifurcation theorem for general functional differential equations developed by \textit{J. Wu} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 350, No.~12 4799--4838 (1998; Zbl 0905.34034)], the global existence of periodic solutions is established.