Indian geographical populations of D. kikkawai, collected along 20°N latitudinal range, revealed significant genetic divergence not only of ethanol and acetic acid utilsation but also dessication and starvation tolerance. Latitudinal patterns of ethanol utilization (2.60 to 4.15%) and significantly higher acetic acid utilization (3.50 to 5.25%) were observed in adult individuals of seven geographical populations of D. kikkawai. Very low concentrations (upto 1%) of n-propanol and iso-propanol served as resources while secondary alcohols were found to be toxic to D. kikkawai. populations. Thus, the northern and southern populations of D. kikkawai revealed divergence in the patterns of resource utilisation. The parrel occurrence of latitudinal genetic divergence for ethanol and acetic acid utilisation and for propanols in Indian populations of D. kikkawai could be maintained by balancing natural selection varying spatially along the north-south axis of the Indian subcontinent. The observed genetic differentiation in desiccation (17 to 26 hrs) as well as starvation tolerance (92 top 129 hrs) in D. kikkawai populations suggest the role of climatic selection along the latitudinal transect.