This work models and analyzes the qualitative dynamics of a two‐stage species with the factor of recruitment. It shows how the dynamics is determined by a basic threshold parameter . As a result, it is proved that if , then the extinction equilibrium point is globally asymptotically stable, assuring that the species would disappear under this condition. Numerical simulations, produced by varying the parameters obtained from empirical data, show different situations regarding the evolution of the population and allow us to validate the model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.