Mitochondrial genetic structure reflects the geographical variation of elytral polymorphism frequency in Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

• Published in: Journal of Asia-Pacific entomology Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 1270 - 1274
• Main Authors: Kawakami, Yasuko, Yamazaki, Kazuo, Ohashi, Kazunori, Nakahama, Naoyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2021; 한국응용곤충학회
• Subjects: Colour polymorphism; Distributional expansion; Haplotype groups; Ladybird; Latitude; 농학; Colour polymorphism; Ladybird; Latitude; Haplotype groups; Distributional expansion
• ISSN: 1226-8615; 1876-7990
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aspen.2021.08.016

[Display omitted] •Many ladybird have colour polymorphism with geographical variation.•C. sexmaculata has colour polymorphism including dark and light morph types.•The mtCOI gene haplotypes of this species were integrated into two haplotype groups.•The higher frequencies haplotypes in lower latitudes tended to be light morph types.•The haplotypes in higher latitudes more frequently exhibited dark morph types. Many ladybird species are known to have an elytral colour polymorphism, which indicates geographical variation. The ladybird beetle Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) exhibits elytral colour polymorphism and has expanded its distribution from 33°N to 36°N in Japan over 100 years since 1900. The mitochondrial COI gene haplotypes were integrated into two haplotype groups, with one group existing at higher frequencies in lower latitudes, the other group appearing at higher frequencies in higher latitudes. In addition, the dark morph types of this species increase with latitude, whereas the light types appear at higher relative frequencies in lower latitudes. In the present study, we first determined the morph types of individuals and examined the mitochondrial DNA COI gene. Second, we investigated the relationship between the genetic population structure based on the mitochondrial DNA COI gene and the morph types’ geographical variation. Results indicated that the mtCOI genetic structure was associated with the morph types by latitude; specifically, the haplotype group existing at higher frequencies in lower latitudes tended to be light morph types. In contrast, the haplotype dominant in higher latitudes more frequently exhibited dark morph types, indicating that dark morph types in the higher latitude genetic group may have led the distributional expansion toward higher latitudes since 1900 rather than the lower latitude light morph types.