Like other animals and plants, insects may find it difficult to survive and reproduce in small populations, to the extent that their long‐term persistence may be jeopardized. The A llee effect is a theoretical framework that formalizes this decrease in survival or reproduction in small populations, and the resulting decrease in population growth and persistence. Mating failure in low‐density populations is likely to generate an A llee effect and, therefore, has a major effect on the functioning of small populations. Here, I review mate‐finding A llee effects in insect species, and their consequences for individual mating success, population dynamics, and population management. I focus, in particular, on the comparison of theoretical expectations with observational data. Several studies have reported some degree of mating failure at low density. However, almost none of the datasets available allow comparison with the predictions of classical mate‐searching models. A few studies at the population level have reported the co‐occurrence of mating failure at low density and a demographic A llee effect, but no study has yet clearly demonstrated a causal relationship between mating failure and lower rates of population growth. Thus, although the theoretical development of management tactics based on A llee effects is considered promising, the current lack of evidence supporting this strategy limits its potential relevance. I call here for a more rigorous approach to the study of mate‐finding A llee effects and propose new approaches for this purpose.
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Xavier Fauvergue (2012) studied this question.