Polymorphic microsatellites loci in the black Aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763 (Hemiptera, Aphididae)

Aphis fabae is a widespread pest in Europe. This species includes four morphological cryptic subspecies which are mostly identified by their partially distinct secondary host range. To determine the extent of gene flow and isolation between these four taxa, we isolated and characterized eight microsatellite loci from A. fabae fabae and tested them on the three other subspecies. Polymorphism ranged from five to 35 alleles on the 138 individuals collected. When analysing each taxon separately, significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg (HW) equilibrum were observed. This could have different explanations, including the presence of null alleles, or the Wahlund effect or the mating system.