The time-global unique classical positive solutions to the reaction–diffusion equations for prey–predator models with dormancy of predators are constructed. The feature appears on the nonlinear terms of Holling type $\rm I\!I$ functional response. The crucial step is to establish time-local positive classical solutions by using a new approximation associated with time-evolution operators. Although the system does not equip usual comparison principle for solutions to partial differential equation, a priori bounds are derived by enclosing and renormalising arguments of solutions to the corresponding ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, time-global existence, invariant regions and asymptotic behaviours of solutions follow from such a priori bounds.

This paper is concerned with a prey–predator model with population flux by attractive transition. Our previous paper (Oeda and Kuto, 2018, Nonlinear Anal. RWA, 44, 589–615) obtained a bifurcation branch (connected set) of coexistence steady states which connects two semitrivial solutions. In Oeda and Kuto (2018, Nonlinear Anal. RWA, 44, 589–615), we also showed that any positive steady-state approaches a positive solution of either of two limiting systems, and moreover, one of the limiting systems is an equal diffusive competition model. This paper obtains the bifurcation structure of positive solutions to the other limiting system. Moreover, this paper implies that the global bifurcation branch of coexistence states consists of two parts, one of which is a simple curve running in a tubular domain near the set of positive solutions to the equal diffusive competition model, the other of which is a connected set characterized by positive solutions to the other limiting system.