Abstract
AbstractGeographical variation of elytra color pattern in two sibling ladybird species,Harmonia yedoensisandH. axyridis(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae), was examined. The two species are distributed sympatrically in centralJapan; however, onlyH. yedoensisandH. axyridisoccur in theRyukyuIslands (southernJapan) andHokkaido island (northernJapan), respectively. The frequency of elytra color patterns was significantly different between the two species in all sympatric locations and our results were inconsistent with the classical theory onMüllerian mimicry. The most dominant pattern ofH. axyridiswas the least dominant ofH. yedoensisin all sympatric populations. Furthermore, the frequency of the non‐melanic form (red ground color with or without black spots) increased towards the south inH. yedoensis. This tendency was in contrast to the known geographical cline inH. axyridisin which the melanic form (black ground color with red spots) was gradually displaced with the non‐melanic form northwards in theJapanese archipelago. We discuss possible selective factors including predator avoidance, thermal adaptation and reproductive character displacement, all of which might contribute to the maintenance of the color polymorphism in the twoHarmoniaspecies.
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