Dynamics of the gene pool of petersburg Adalia bipunctata population during 75 years of observation

Abstract

Composition of Adalia bipunctata population "University" (collected near St. Petersburg University) was studied from 1975 till 2009, also considering the data obtained by J. Lusis who sampled this ladybird population in 1933, 1934, and 1947. The part of black-colored forms in the population decreased from 90.0 % in 1933 to 47.8 % in 2009. Two hypotheses explaining the observed population dynamics are suggested and discussed: ecological (effect of the city air pollution) and genetic (replacement of the black-color allele with more efficient polygenic system).