Metallothionein expression induced by nickel accumulation in the midgut of Spodoptera litura Fabri- cius larvae was investigated by exposing S. litura larvae to the artificial diets amended with different doses of nickel for 3 generations. Nickel accumulations in the midgut of 6th instar larvae were detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), and the induced metal- lothionein expression in the midgut of 5th and 6th instar larvae in 120 h were quantified using cad- mium-hemoglobin total saturation methods. The accumulated nickel in the midgut of the 6th instar larvae within a generation increased with the increase of the nickel doses in the treated diets and showed significant dose-dependence with the nickel doses in diets. Metallothioneins induced by nickel accumulated in the larval midgut also increased with nickel doses in diets and with the increasing stressing time in a generation. Results also suggested that the metallothionein expression was differ- ent with the time of S. litura larvae stressed by nickel. Metallothionein expression induced by nickel accumulation in the midgut of Spodoptera litura Fabri- cius larvae was investigated by exposing S. litura larvae to the artificial diets amended with different doses of nickel for 3 generations. Nickel accumulations in the midgut of 6th instar larvae were detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), and the induced metal-lothionein expression in the midgut of 5th and 6th instar larvae in quantified using cad- mium-hemoglobin total saturation methods. The accumulated nickel in the midgut of the 6th instar larvae within a generation increased with the increase of the nickel doses in the treated diets and showed significant dose-dependence with the nickel doses in diets. Metallothioneins induced by nickel accumulated in the larval midgut also increased with nickel doses in diets and with the increasing stressing time in a generation. Results also suggested that the metallothionein expression was dif fer- ent with the time of S. litura larvae stressed by nickel.