Characterization and PCR multiplexing of polymorphic microsatellite loci for the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata
Abstract
Highly polymorphic genetic markers provide a useful tool for estimating genetic parametersin studies of the evolution of sociality in insects. We isolated and characterized 12 polymorphicmicrosatellite loci in the invasive ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, and described experimental conditions for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) multiplexing and simultaneously genotyping these loci in two sets of five and seven markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 14 and the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.233 to 0.967. Moreover, results of cross-species amplification tests are reported in three other species of Wasmannia and in two species of the genus Allomerus