Fitting the Gompertz function to dose-response data of larval tick populations.

Samples of 6, 1st generation larval populations of Boophilus decoloratus, originating from field collected females, were subjected to increasing doses of the organophosphate acaricide, Dioxathion. The dose-response relationship for 3 populations showed random heterogeneity, while systematic deviations from the linear probit lines were observed for the other 3 populations. Logistic and Gompertz regressions were also fitted for all 6 populations. Probit regressions fitted best for 2 populations exhibiting heterogeneous responses. The logistic regression fitted best for 1 population with heterogeneous responses and 1 population with systematic deviating responses. The Gompertz regression fitted best for the 2 remaining populations exhibiting systematic deviating responses. The Gompertz function may be useful in describing the dose-response relationship obtained for certain acaricidal toxicity tests.