Development of microsatellite markers for a giant water bug, Appasus japonicus, distributed in East Asia

Abstract

We developed microsatellite markers for Appasus japonicus (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae). This belostomatid bug is distributed in East Asia (Japanese Archipelago, Korean Peninsula, and Mainland China), and often listed as endangered species in the Red List or the Red Data Book at the national and local level in Japan. Here we describe twenty novel polymorphic microsatellite loci developed for A. japonicus, and marker suitability was evaluated on 56 individuals from four A. japonicus populations (Nagano, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, and Chungcheongnam-do, Korea). The number of alleles per locus ranged 1-12 (mean = 2.5), and average observed and expected heterozygosity, and fixation index per locus were 0.270, 0.323, and 0.153, respectively. The 20 markers described here will be useful for investigating the genetic structure of A. japonicus populations, which can contribute in population genetics studies of this species.