{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T05:07:45Z","timestamp":1784610465530,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778025600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":5,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777593600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ecology and Evolution"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    The tobacco cutworm\n                    <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\">\n                      <jats:italic>Spodoptera litura<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:styled-content>\n                    is a globally distributed polyphagous agricultural pest and common factitious host for mass\u2010producing biological control agents (e.g., predators, parasitoids, entomopathogens), owing to its rapid development, and high reproductive capacity. Efficient large scale rearing of\n                    <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\">\n                      <jats:italic>S. litura<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:styled-content>\n                    is also fundamental for developing sterile insect techniques (SIT) application, which require stable, high quality insect colonies to ensure consistent sterilization outcomes and effective field release strategies. However, skewed sex ratios frequently constrain colony performance and limit the efficiency of large\u2010scale rearing systems. In this study, seven sex ratio treatments (1:1, 3:2, 2:1, 5:2, 3:1, 7:2, 4:1) were established to quantify key reproductive traits. Among the initial ratios, 1:1 produced the highest female longevity and maximum fecundity per female. This optimal ratio was subsequently scaled to colony sizes of 20:20, 40:40, and 60:60 to evaluate proportional effects on reproductive output. Fecundity per female was highest at the 1:1 sex ratio and decreased with increasing population size. The 40:40 configuration yielded the best overall reproductive performance. These findings refine the understanding of sex ratio dependent reproductive dynamics in\n                    <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\">\n                      <jats:italic>S. litura<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:styled-content>\n                    and provide practical guidance for improving mass\u2010rearing efficiency both for factitious host production and for supporting SIT development.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.73639","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T23:44:56Z","timestamp":1778111096000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Optimizing Sex Ratio and Colony Size to Enhance Reproduction and Mass\u2010Rearing in\n                    <i>Spodoptera litura<\/i>\n                    Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-1702-9263","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chuanzhen","family":"Xue","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanqi","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bowen","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiaying","family":"Mao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaotong","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuanfei","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianjun","family":"Mao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mengqing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huizi","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zunyi Branch of Guizhou Tobacco Company  Zunyi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hancheng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science  Guiyang China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuyan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lisheng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Beijing China"},{"name":"Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences  Shanghai China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1744-7917.70081"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10905-021-09792-y"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/aesa\/saw001"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10905-005-5605-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02213555"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s42690-022-00841-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ps.7466"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10340-022-01579-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects14100781"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ee\/nvaa069"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.10189"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects12030203"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ygeno.2018.08.002"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_11_15_1","first-page":"223","article-title":"Effect of Age on Reproduction and Sex Ratio of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)","volume":"42","author":"Hamed M.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Pakistan Journal of Zoology"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2022.947848"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects16030248"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007485321000390"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects15060457"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10340-025-01931-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s41938-021-00449-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007485313000199"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18474\/0749-8004-47.3.208"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/opag-2021-0045"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10905-012-9360-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4039\/tce.2013.72"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jisesa\/ieaa128"},{"issue":"5","key":"e_1_2_11_28_1","first-page":"1355","article-title":"Effect of Altering Parent Sex Ratio on Egg Laying and Subsequent Development in Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)","volume":"47","author":"Sattar M.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pakistan Journal of Zoology"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1653\/024.099.sp115"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biocontrol.2023.105412"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3547011"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jip.2016.07.009"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12864-022-08613-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aspen.2025.102411"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects13100933"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1127\/entomologia\/2021\/1174"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/genetics\/16.2.97"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/biol-2022-0873"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/insects16020224"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11829-022-09913-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/afe.12373"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.8864"}],"container-title":["Ecology and Evolution"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/ece3.73639","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/ece3.73639","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/ece3.73639","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T04:59:08Z","timestamp":1784609948000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ece3.73639"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"references-count":41,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/ece3.73639"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ece3.73639","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-7758","2045-7758"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-7758","type":"print"},{"value":"2045-7758","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-12-20","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-04-27","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-06","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e73639"}}