Male-size-related courtship success and intersexual selection in the tobacco moth, Ephestia elutella

In Ephestia elutella males, mating success is positively correlated with size. Experimental manipulation of males demonstrated that this is due to females actively discriminating against small males, the first direct evidence for female mate-choice in moths. Furthermore, this female preference is associated with increased fitness in that, by mating with larger males, females are more likely both to produce larger offspring and to increase their fecundity.