Predator-prey interactions, age structures and delay equations

A general framework for age-structured predator-prey systems is introduced. Individuals are distinguished into two classes, juveniles and adults, and several possible interactions are considered. The initial system of partial differential equations is reduced to a system of (neutral) delay differential equations with one or two delays. Thanks to this approach, physically correct models for predator-prey with delay are provided. Previous models are considered and analysed in view of the above results. A Rosenzweig-MacArthur model with delay is presented as an example.