Microsatellites have been identified for the wasp, Cotesia congregata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval endoparasitoid of sphingid larvae. Microsatellites were found by extracting DNA to create a library, which was screened for the presence of various oligonucleotide repeats. Screening was done by cloning restriction fragments into bacterial plasmid vectors. Approximately 2300 transformed colonies were screened for the presence of tri- and tetrameric repeats in the inserts. Eighteen potentially positive inserts were sequenced. Out of six clearly sequenced inserts, five contained at least one microsatellite locus. Three insets contained two or more separate distinct microsatellite loci. One repeat was extraordinarily long, with 63 repeats of one trimeric sequence. Mendelian inheritance is being verified by comparing genotypes of haploid male offspring to the diploid mother, and diploid female offspring to both parents. Microsatellites demonstrating sufficient polymorphism at the population level will be used to test hypotheses that wasp populations have evolved to vary spatially and temporally with respect to host food plants.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Braconidae Cotesia congregata
Keywords: microsatellites, Sphingidae
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