Geographic distribution, host plants, and morphological variation of the currently radiating phytophagous ladybird beetleHenosepilachna diekei

Abstract

To overview the morphological and ecological diversification within a species of phytophagous ladybird beetle Henosepilachna diekei, information concerning its distribution and host plant use was studied. This species was found widely in South East and South Asia from the Philippines through the Greater Sunda islands, a western part of Lesser Sundas, the Malay Peninsula to Sri Lanka. Mikania species (Asteraceae), Mikania micrantha in particular, were the most frequently used host plants, but some other plants belonging to Lamiaceae or Acanthaceae were also used by some local populations. Each population is possibly monophagous. According to morphological analyses, seven populations from four host plants at six sites on four Indonesian islands were grouped into two, one occurring on Java and Kalimantan (Borneo) and another on Sulawesi and Lombok, indicating that they were separated by the Wallace line. This morphological distinction was not correlated with the host plant use.

Extremely divergent host plant acceptance with gene flow between sympatric host races of the phytophagous ladybird beetle Henosepilachna diekei

“…; Matsubayashi et al . ,b). A previous survey reported ubiquitous host specialization of these host races in three geographic regions (i.e.…”

“…; Matsubayashi et al . ,b). Because this beetle can fly at least several hundred meters (K. Matsubayashi, pers.…”

“…; Matsubayashi et al . ,b) are well studied. The host race depending on M. micrantha ( Mikania race) widely distributes over all the distribution range of this species; in contrast, the distribution of the host race depending on L. lavandulifolia ( Leucas race) is limited in Java Island, Indonesia (Fujiyama et al .…”