Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus and cross-species amplification in related species

The wheat stem sawfly is an important insect pest of wheat that can cause significant damage to yield and grain quality. Five microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus, to facilitate future population genetic studies and help delineate their geographical origin. These loci were found to be polymorphic with an expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.304 to 0.937 and an observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.05 to 0.65. Successful cross-species amplification demonstrates the potential for these markers to provide a valuable tool for future population studies among related Cephus species.