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Seasonal variation in the frequency of elytral colour polymorphism in the ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis, was analysed through the combination of field observations and laboratory mate-choice experiments. Field observations involving daily mark-recapture of a local population revealed an overall preponderance of melanic morphs in the population, but the proportion of non-melanics notably increased from spring to summer due to their higher frequency of mating among different morphs of the spring generation. In the laboratory experiments, both melanic and non-melanic females preferentially chose non-melanic males in spring, but non-melanics were less successful at mating than melanics in summer. Therefore, the relative frequencies of melanics and non-melanics within a population vary throughout the seasons, with non-melanics increasing in proportion towards summer and decreasing thereafter. Laboratory experiments revealed that non-random mating among morphs is the basis of this variation, with females and, to a lesser degree, males being involved in the process of mate selection. The results of an artificial colour-change experiment indicate that male elytral colour is an important factor in female mate selection but other factors such as behaviour and chemical cues must also be involved.

Seasonal variation in elytral colour polymorphism in Harmonia axyridis (the ladybird beetle): the role of non-random mating