The population dynamics of the stout reef octopus, Octopus insularis fished with longlines of pots in mid-shelf waters of north-eastern Brazil was studied based on fishermen's logbooks and onboard monthly fishing trips from September 2009 to August 2010. Specimens marked with oxytetracycline kept in tanks for up to 21 days provided evidence of the daily deposition of growth increments in the lateral wall of the upper beaks. Sampled specimens weighed 50–1280 g and had 43–172 daily growth increments. Compared with congeneric species from higher latitudes, O. insularis grows faster and has a shorter longevity in the north-eastern Brazil tropical environment. Total catches and catch-per-unit effort were substantially higher in the dry season, with less wind and cooler temperatures. The presence of larger specimens was seasonal, correlated with the chlorophyll-a levels recorded six months earlier. The year-round presence of mature females and males, spawned females, and egg masses attached to the pots, were considered evidence of migration of small and young specimens from coastal areas towards the 20–40 m depth range for reproduction. Annual landings attained ~200 tonnes (2005–2010). Although recent landing statistics are missing, fishermen interviewed in 2021 claimed that the fishery was still profitable. It is suggested that, despite the lack of management, the fast growth, year-round reproduction and limited market for this relatively small octopus, prevented the fishery from collapse and reinforces the current view of the high resilience of cephalopod fisheries.

We investigate how changes in the sex ratio induced by World War II affected the bargaining patterns of Italian men in the marriage market. Marriage data from the first wave of the Italian Household Longitudinal Survey (1997) are matched with newly digitized information on war casualties coming from the Italian National Bureau of Statistics. We find that men in post-war marriages were better off in terms of their spouse's education, this gain amounting to about half a year of schooling. By considering heterogeneity across provinces, we find that the effects were more pronounced in rural provinces, mountainous provinces, and provinces with a higher share of population employed in agriculture. This result suggests that in these provinces the war caused a more fundamental change in marriage patterns compared to urban, lower-lying, and less agricultural provinces where marriage markets might have been more flexible to begin with.

Empirical evidence suggests that close to 100 million women are “missing” worldwide. We revisit the empirical evidence for China, the country with the most missing women. Nearly ten million girls born in the 1980s and 1990s who were “missing” according to earlier census data can be found again in the 2010 population census. We discuss two possible explanations for the re-emergence of these formerly missing girls: the delayed registration of girls owing to economic reasons, and the response to amendments to the Chinese Statistics Law in 2009 and policy changes in the 2010 population census. Using the most recent statistics, we document patterns of the underreporting of women over time and across regions as well as explore the basic determinants of underreporting of women. Important policy challenges remain. For the unregistered children, the lack of access to public services will increase their vulnerability and adversely affect their quality of life.

Estuaries and saltmarshes play a fundamental role in the life cycle of many crab species. Diverse studies show that temperature and salinity modulate abundance, size frequency distribution (SFD), sex ratio and growth in crustaceans. These population parameters are usually challenging to estimate due to the high environmental variability of estuaries. Monthly samples of the estuarine crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus were taken from October 2003 to October 2004 (except July 2004) in the Tubul estuary, central Chile. We quantified temporal changes in abundance, size distribution, sex ratio and monthly growth through the annual cycle. A total of 1025 individuals were collected. Sizes ranged from 7.72–33.51 mm carapace length (CL) with a growth rate ranging between 2.13–30.5% mm CL mo−1. Size and growth rates were greater in spring-summer, suggesting a faster growth of younger crabs correlated with increasing sea temperatures in the austral summer. Overall, sex ratio was 1.75:1 in favour of males. Modal analysis identified at least seven cohorts cohabiting throughout the annual cycle. Growth parameters for males and females were the following, respectively: L∞ = 33.6 and 29.6, k = 0.69 and 0.91, t0 = –0.39 and −0.28. Changes in size distribution suggested a recruitment period during autumn and winter seasons when there are lower salinities and temperature fluctuations stresses. Generalized linear models indicated that sea temperature, salinity and chlorophyll were the environmental variables that better predicted the annual patterns in the population structure.

The study characterized the structure of juveniles and sub-adults of Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis in the Cananéia-Iguape estuarine lagoon system and its adjacent coastal area by evaluating the period of juvenile recruitment, sex ratio, growth, longevity, natural mortality, and development time until the late juvenile phase. Samples were collected from July 2012 to June 2014. Shrimps were identified by species and sex, and measured (carapace length – CL mm); 889 individuals of F. brasiliensis and 848 of F. paulensis were analysed. Females were more abundant than males for both species. The growth parameters of F. brasiliensis were: CL∞ = 45.5 mm, k = 1.8 year−1 for males and CL∞ = 55.2 mm, k = 1.6 year−1 for females; longevity of 2.52 years (males) and 2.88 years (females); and natural mortality of 1.71 (males) and 1.55 (females). For F. paulensis, the following values were observed: CL∞ = 40.7 mm, k = 2.3 year−1 for males and CL∞ = 56.5 mm, k = 1.9 year−1 for females; longevity of 2.04 years (males) and 2.37 years (females); and natural mortality of 2.39 (males) and 2.05 (females). The juvenile recruitment of both species peaked in January 2014. The development time until late juvenile phase was ~7 months (F. brasiliensis) and ~5 months (F. paulensis). Even though the highest abundance of juveniles did not occur in the closed season, fishing is forbidden in the estuarine area and the migration towards the adult population occurred close to or even during the closed season.

The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is the main vector in Europe of the recently detected plant pathogen bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae). While the ecology of continental populations is well documented, nothing is known about the insular populations of P. spumarius, such as in Corsica, where the bacterium was detected in 2015. Hence, in an epidemiological context, the ecology of P. spumarius has been studied in a maquis landscape in the Ajaccio region between 2017 and 2019. Adults and nymphs were almost exclusively collected on Cistus monspeliensis L. (Cistaceae). However, very few specimens were collected in summer, suggesting a movement of the adults to sheltered habitats. Unfortunately, despite several trapping methods used, the location of adult summer habitat remains unknown for the studied population. It might be tempting to destroy the central plant host of P. spumarius populations. However, as spittlebug nymphs are highly polyphagous on low-growing plant species and as the females can lay eggs in any dead plant tissues, such practice could have limited the impact. Instead, the strong relationship between P. spumarius and C. monspeliensis could be used to monitor spittlebug populations, to limit/concentrate the means of insect control, or in an agronomic context to lure insects away from crops. Maintaining natural arboreal vegetation around agronomic systems could help decrease insect abundance – and potentially, pathogen load – on cultivated species. Such hypotheses need to be further studied by landscape experiments.

Parasitoids can be used as biological agents of pest control. Anagyrus saccharicola Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a parasitoid of the pink sugarcane mealybug Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Although this mealybug is present in all sugarcane-producing countries, there is limited information regarding this pest and its parasitoid. Aiming to elucidate information on bioecological parameters of A. saccharicola, were evaluated the survival of parasitoid females and males at three temperatures, the host preference of the parasitoid, and the fecundity and longevity of the host. In addition, the parasitism rate of A. saccharicola was estimated based on three factors, feeding, mating, and time. Survival was evaluated at 20, 25, and 30°C. Host preference was conducted on 15-, 20-, and 30-day-old mealybugs. And the parasitism rate was evaluated in fed and unfed, mated and unmated parasitoids and with 24 h and newly emerged. The temperature of 20°C was the most favorable for parasitoid survival. Parasitism occurred at all evaluated ages of the mealybug; however, the preference was for those that were 30-days-old. The parasitized mealybugs longevity was approximately 8 additional days after parasitization, and non-parasitized mealybugs lived for an additional 20 days for mealybugs aged 30 and 20 days at the outset of the tests, and a further 13 days for the 15 days. Feeding and mating after 24 h of emergence resulted in a higher parasitism rate. These findings can contribute to more efficient rearing of A. saccharicola and in the planning of the biological control of S. sacchari in the integrated pest management programs.

The temperature-dependent development of Apanteles hemara (Nixon), a larval endoparasitoid of the devastating amaranth pest Spoladea recurvalis (F.) was studied in the laboratory at six constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C), a photoperiod of 12L:12D and a relative humidity of 60–70%. Developmental time decreased significantly with increasing temperature within the range of 15–30 °C. The parasitoid's pupal mortality, successful parasitism rate, adult emergence rate and longevity, sex ratio and fecundity were affected by temperature. The population of A. hemara failed to develop at 10 and 35 °C. The development threshold (Tmin) and the thermal constant (K) were calculated by the linear model while the lethal temperature (Tmax) was determined by the Lactin-1 model. The estimated values of Tmin, Tmax and K by the two models were 10.3 °C, 35.0 °C and 185.18 DD respectively for the total immature development. The estimated value of the optimum temperature using the Taylor model was 30.8 °C. This is the first study to report on the effect of temperature on the developmental parameters of A. hemara giving an insight into its biology. The implications of these findings for the use of A. hemara in biological control are discussed.

The sex ratio question has been an area of growing interest in population dynamics, especially in developing countries with respect to the issue of missing women, but few studies have examined this in sub-Saharan Africa. Both at birth and in the general population, sex ratios follow an expected demographic pattern in the absence of the interference of historical events affecting either males or females in a population. In Zambia, an unexpected demographic pattern of sex ratios is exhibited in census and survey data. This study used data from censuses and surveys conducted from 1969 to 2014 to examine variations in sex ratios in the Zambian population. It was found that sex ratio imbalances were largely due to data deficiencies due to age misreporting and under-enumeration. A consistent under-enumeration of young adult males in the 20–34 years age group was found. A systematic pattern of high sex ratios, above 100, for ages 40+ was found, represented by synthetic cohorts traceable from the 1969 census, progressing to the 2000 census and phased out in the 2010 census. Extremely high adult male mortality was found in 2010 in the 35–59 years age group, primarily attributable to HIV/AIDS. Understanding the demographic pattern of sex ratios in a population is relevant for policies to improve the quality of data collection systems, and socioeconomic development planning, for the young age group population, which is prone under-enumeration.

A survey of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) was conducted in the northern Ross Sea region during the winter of 2016 to document the timing and location of spawning activity, to collect biological information about reproductive status during the spawning season and to look for temporal signals in biological data from D. mawsoni that may indicate a spawning migration of mature toothfish from the continental slope region to the northern Ross Sea region. The 58 day survey showed that spawning of D. mawsoni began on some seamounts by early July. No changes were detected between winter and summer in length, age, sex ratio or condition factor distributions for D. mawsoni in the northern Ross Sea as hypothesized following a spawning migration from the slope to the northern Ross Sea region. These results suggest that the distribution of D. mawsoni in the Ross Sea is mainly accomplished through ontogenetic migration and not annual return spawning migrations.

The Trivers–Willard Hypothesis (TWH) states that parents in good conditions bias the sex ratio towards sons and parents in poor conditions bias the sex ratio towards daughters. This study used data from a large nationwide population dataset (N=1,401,851) from the Czech Republic – a modern contemporary society. The study included air pollution and property prices in the TWH estimation, and had a more detailed focus on stillbirths than previous studies. Using official natality microdata from the Czech Statistical Office for years between 1992 and 2010 and data on levels of air pollution in the country over the same period, the study assessed whether the biological and socioeconomic status of mothers and environmental factors affected the sex of children. The results were largely insignificant and not robust across specifications. The presented epidemiological evidence suggests that stillbirths are randomly distributed in the Czech Republic and that the sex ratio is not affected by the socioeconomic status of mothers or by environmental characteristics.

The Chinese white pine beetle Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) typically displays bivoltinism at altitudes below 1700 m in the Qinling Mountains, China. The periods of host colonization and larval overwintering are two important phases in the life cycle of bark beetles, as it is during these periods that they have to contend with host plant defences and periods of intense cold, respectively. Although during different seasons, the females and males of Chinese white pine beetles show varying tolerances to host plant terpenoids, the sex ratio and survival physiology condition of the two beetle generations are unknown. We investigated the sex ratio of individuals, and also examined the body mass, energy stores, and detoxication enzymes of males and females in each of the two generations in order to determine the overall population stability of each generation. We identified a female-biased sex ratio among adults in both generations. Furthermore, patterns of body mass, energy stores, and detoxication enzymes were found to differ between the two sexes and two seasons. Compared with the males, the females have a larger body mass and higher amounts of stored lipids, which are assumed to be adaptations designed to overcome host resistance and facilitate subsequent oviposition.

The blue shark Prionace glauca is the most abundant species in the artisanal driftnet fishery off the coastal waters of Ivory Coast. The reproductive parameters were investigated with the aim of providing basic information on the reproductive biology for fisheries management. A total of 424 specimens (256 males and 168 females) ranging from 170–330 cm in total length (TL) were sampled between August 2014 and November 2016. Sample for embryonic sex ratio was obtained from 18 litters of 503 individuals (255 males and 248 females). The embryonic sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 (χ2 = 0.10, P > 0.05, N = 503). The size at 50% maturity (L50) was 218.1 cm TL for males and 223.3 cm TL for females. The litter size based on the number of embryos varied from 6 to 62, with an average of 30 embryos. Mating started in July whereas ovulation, fertilization and uterine eggs occurred in late October–November. Smallest embryos of 3–5 cm in stretch total length (STL) appeared in uterus from November to January. The embryo size varied widely among months, and well-pigmented embryos were already present in April–May samples, although most of them occurred in August–September, suggesting a gestation period of around 11 months. The absence of neonates in catches, as well as parturition females, does not support a hypothesis that parturition takes place in the Gulf of Guinea.

Coupled with the social practice of female hypergamy, the male surplus within the never-married population means that today's Chinese marriage market is extremely tight in particular for men from a rural background and the least privileged socio-economic categories. Drawing on quantitative data from a survey conducted in 2014–2015, this article sheds light on the situation of single men who are past prime marriage age in three rural districts of Shaanxi particularly affected by this phenomenon. It compares single men's characteristics to those of their married counterparts and offers insights into the heterogeneity of single men with the aim of challenging some commonly accepted assumptions about bachelorhood in rural China. Results suggest a strong internalization of the various characteristics, centred on being able to offer social mobility to a potential wife, that a man is expected to have to be attractive to women in a context where women have more choice in mate selection. We conclude that mate selection is highly marked by class, social norms, social interactions, health, generation and age, and requires the mobilization of certain amounts of individual, social and economic resources. Unwanted bachelorhood would thus be better understood using an intersectional approach rather than mainly in numeric terms.

The present study investigated the population dynamics of Hepatus pudibundus in the Cananéia region, in southern São Paulo state, Brazil, focusing on population structure, growth parameters, longevity, sex ratio, reproduction and recruitment juvenile period. Sampling was performed monthly at seven stations from July 2012 to June 2014, using a shrimp fishing boat. A total of 1650 specimens were collected: 551 males and 1099 females. The males were larger than females. Reproductive females were captured throughout the study period and juveniles were captured in most months. Both of these demographic categories were positively correlated with temperature. Growth parameters showed differences between sexes: CW∞ = 78.91 mm, k = 0.0066 day−1, t0 = 0.0965 for males and CW∞ = 69.71 mm, k = 0.0053 day−1, t0 = −0.2404 for females. Longevity was estimated at 1.91 and 2.40 years for males and females, respectively. The findings provide a greater understanding of the life cycle in this species. Additionally, since trawl nets are not selective, this study also provides information for better trawl fishery management, addressing not only the target shrimp but also the by-catch species.

Female family headship has strong implications for endemic poverty in the United States. Consequently, it is imperative to explore the chief factors that contribute to this problem. Departing from prior literature that places significant weight on welfare-incentive effects, our study highlights the role of male marriageability in explaining the prevalence of never-married female family headship for blacks and whites. Specifically, we examine racial differences in the effect of male marriageability on never-married female headship from 1980 to 2010. By exploiting data from IPUMS-USA (N = 4,958,722) and exogenous variation from state-level sentencing reforms, the study finds that the decline in the relative supply of marriageable males significantly increases the incidence of never-married female family headship for blacks but not for whites.

Superparasitism is an adaptive strategy in solitary parasitoids, yet insufficient evidence confirms this in gregarious ones. We here ask whether the gregarious parasitoid Oomyzus sokolowskii is able to discriminate in attack and progeny allocation between parasitized and unparasitized Plutella xylostella larvae, and how the parasitoid allocates brood size and sex to superparasitized hosts due to some circumstances. We found that female parasitoids preferred unparasitized to parasitized host larvae, and allocated a smaller brood with more males in the later than in the former host. Brood size and sex ratio decreased from superparasitized hosts with a 48 h interval since a previous attack compared with one without an interval; they also declined from the host superparasitized by the parasitoid with oviposition experience compared with one without it. Brood size and sex ratio did not differ between the host superparasitized by the same parasitoid as in the first attack and that by a different one. Our findings suggest that O. sokolowskii females may adjust their oviposition decisions on progeny allocation in response to parasitized P. xylostella larvae to maximize their fitness gains from superparasitism.

This study evaluated the population structure, growth and longevity of Xiphopenaeus kroyeri in the State of Sergipe. The obtained data were compared with other populations on a latitudinal scale in order to evaluate whether the latitudinal paradigm applies to this species. Shrimp sampling took place monthly from September 2013 to August 2014, in nine stations distributed at 5, 15 and 30 m depths, using a shrimp fishery boat equipped with a ‘double rig’ net. Sexual maturity was estimated by the logistic function y = a/(1 + b*exp(-cx)), and the sex ratio was analysed with the Chi-square test. The individual growth rate was estimated using the von Bertalanffy model, and the longevity was estimated by the inverse form of this formula. A total of 6418 (3457 females and 2961 males) was analysed. The size at onset of sexual maturity was 12 mm of carapace length (CL) for males and 12.5 mm CL for females. The total sex ratio did not differ from the expected (1:1). Males exhibited higher growth coefficients (k) and smaller asymptotic growth (CC∞ = 28.74 mm, k = 0.0081 day−1) than females (CC∞ = 30.79 mm, k = 0.0058 day−1). The estimated longevity (years) was 1.55 for males and 2.15 for females. No evident latitudinal pattern was observed regarding the size at onset of sexual maturity or the growth parameters for X. kroyeri. The information found, besides contributing to the knowledge about the biology of this shrimp, can also clarify hypotheses presented in relation to the latitudinal paradigm along the Brazilian coast.

In laboratory experiments, we investigated how media with varying ratio of peat:sand and two levels of compaction influence dispersal success of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species with different foraging strategies: Steinernema carpocapsae (ambusher), Heterorhabditis downesi (cruiser) and Steinernema feltiae (intermediate). Success was measured by the numbers of nematodes moving through a 4 cm column and invading a wax moth larva. We found that both compaction and increasing peat content generally decreased EPN infective juvenile (IJ) success for all three species. Of the three species, H. downesi was the least affected by peat content, and S. carpocapsae was the most adversely influenced by compaction. In addition, sex ratios of the invading IJs of the two Steinernema species were differentially influenced by peat content, and in the case of S. feltiae, sex ratio was also affected by compaction. This indicates that dispersal of male and female IJs is differentially affected by soil parameters and that this differentiation is species-specific. In conclusion, our study shows that organic matter: sand ratio and soil compaction have a marked influence on EPN foraging behaviour with implications for harnessing them as biological pest control agents.