Figure 1.

Universal growth curves can be derived from the exponential growth curve (a) and the von Bertalanffy growth curve (b). The universal von Bertalanffy curve is expressed in terms of dimensional mass and dimensionless time The universal exponential growth curve is expressed in terms of dimensionless mass and dimensionless time . Growth data plotted for 50 insects show concave residual deviations from the exponential curve suggesting growth is slower than exponential. Insect growth is initially overpredicted by the von Bertalanffy curve and then underpredicted.