2020 Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 54-58
The herbivorous ladybird beetle Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius) depends basically on solanaceous plants; however, the beetle also utilizes an introduced fabaceous weed Centrosema molle Benth. at several locations in Southeast Asia. The beetle population in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, once had become a generalist depending on both C. molle and the ordinary host Solanum torvum Sw. More recently, the host use of this population became to be strongly biased to S. torvum because of the decreased abundance of C. molle at the habitat. In 2018, when approximately 30 to 40 generations had passed since the ceasing of frequent use of C. molle, we investigated feeding acceptance of C. molle by adults and survival of larvae on C. molle under laboratory conditions. Results strongly suggested that the ability of beetles to use C. molle was effectively retained. The Bogor population of H. vigintioctopunctata is almost solely depending on S. torvum now as it was before the invasion of C. molle into the habitat, whereas its host-use ability has been modified through natural selection on C. molle which disappeared from the habitat.
