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Published on: February 11, 2020
Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus
Emily V Saarinen1, Jaret C Daniels, James E Maruniak
1University of Florida, Department of Entomology and Nematology, PO Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620, USA, Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Abstract:
The Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) is a state-endangered taxon in Florida and a candidate for federal listing. Here we report 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci appropriate for use in population and conservation studies. We genotyped 114 individuals sampled from a metapopulation in the lower Florida Keys over a 2-year period (2005-2006). These results show 4-14 alleles per locus, and ranges of observed and expected heterozygosities are 0.02679-0.79630 and 0.06154-0.69565, respectively. Large deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) are observed across the whole sample set. When a single breeding population is analysed alone, seven of the loci are in HWE.

