BACKGROUND

As part of a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program, insects be may be classified as male or female and selectively sterilized before being released into the wild. Such programs may be implemented to minimize or eliminate insect-borne diseases and/or to manage insect populations in certain areas. Depending on the program, classification and sterilization may be performed at one or more stages of insect development. For example, adult male and female insects may be classified based on sex prior to one sex being sterilized.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various examples are described including systems, methods, and devices relating to singulating and sorting adult insects.

One general aspect includes an insect sortation system, including: an insect pathway defining an interior volume and having an inlet and an outlet, where an approach zone of the insect pathway is defined adjacent the inlet, a classification zone of the insect pathway is defined adjacent the outlet, and a singulation zone of the insect pathway is defined between the approach zone and the classification zone. The insect sortation system also includes a puff back region defined adjacent the inlet. The insect sortation system also includes a puff forward region defined adjacent the outlet. The insect sortation system also includes an imaging system disposed adjacent the insect pathway and configured to image insects on the insect pathway.

Another general aspect includes an insect sortation method, including: receiving image data from an imaging system disposed adjacent to an insect pathway, the image data representative of one or more insects on the insect pathway. The insect sortation method also includes determining positions of one or more insects with respect to a plurality of zones of the insect pathway based on the image data. The insect sortation method also includes causing movement, by a puff system, of at least one insect of the one or more insects based on a position of the at least one insect with respect to the plurality of zones. The insect sortation system may be computer-implemented. Other examples of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the method.

Another general aspect includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage device including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations including: receive image data from an imaging system disposed adjacent to an insect pathway, the image data representative of one or more insects on the insect pathway. The operations also include determine positions of one or more insects with respect to a plurality of zones of the insect pathway based on the image data. The operations also include causing movement, by a puff system, of at least one insect of the one or more insects based on a position of the at least one insect with respect to the plurality of zones.

