title: Characterization of microsatellite markers for Sycoscapter nonpollinating fig wasps.
abstract: We isolated 18 microsatellites from Sycoscapter australis, a nonpollinating fig wasp that develops in figs of Ficus macrophylla, and assessed their variability in 20 wasps. We further optimized nine of these loci for use in three other Sycoscapter species that develop in Ficus rubiginosa figs and assessed their variability in 47-140 wasps per species. These are the first microsatellites developed for nonpollinating fig wasps and show sufficient polymorphism to become important tools in evolutionary and genetical studies of Sycoscapter wasps.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, Imperial College London, UK School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AS, UK School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouteiller-Reuter
authors.forename: Marie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cook