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Development and optimization of novel species-specific microsatellites, or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) remains an important step for studies in ecology, evolution, and behavior. Numerous approaches exist for identifying new SSRs that vary widely in terms of both time and cost investments. A recent approach of using paired-end Illumina sequence data in conjunction with the bioinformatics pipeline, PAL_FINDER, has the potential to substantially reduce the cost and labor investment while also improving efficiency. However, it does not appear that the approach has been widely adopted, perhaps due to concerns over its broad applicability across taxa. Therefore, to validate the utility of the approach we developed SSRs for 32 species representing 30 families, 25 orders, 11 classes, and six phyla and optimized SSRs for 13 of the species. Overall the IPE method worked extremely well and we identified 1000s of SSRs for all species (mean = 128,485), with 17% of loci being potentially amplifiable loci, and 25% of these met our most stringent criteria designed to that avoid SSRs associated with repetitive elements. Approximately 61% of screened primers yielded strong amplification of a single locus.

Premise of the Study: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in Mimulus ringens (Phrymaceae), a herbaceous wetland perennial, to facilitate studies of mating patterns and population genetic structure. •, Methods and Results: A total of 42 polymorphic loci were identified from a sample of 24 individuals from a single population in Ohio, USA. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to nine, and median observed heterozygosity was 0.435. •, Conclusions: This large number of polymorphic loci will enable researchers to quantify male fitness, patterns of multiple paternity, selfing, and biparental inbreeding in large natural populations of this species. These markers will also permit detailed study of fine-scale patterns of genetic structure.

Premise of the Study: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in Berberis thunbergii, an invasive and ornamental shrub in the eastern United States, to assess genetic diversity among populations and potentially identify horticultural cultivars., Methods and Results: A total of 12 loci were identified for the species. Eight of the loci were polymorphic and were screened in 24 individuals from two native (Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, Japan) and one invasive (Connecticut, USA) population and 21 horticultural cultivars. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.048 to 0.636., Conclusions: These new markers will provide tools for examining genetic relatedness of B. thunbergii plants in the native and invasive range, including phylogeographic studies and assessment of rapid evolution in the invasive range. These markers may also provide tools for examining hybridization with other related species in the invasive range.

Hippodamia convergens—the convergent lady beetle, has been used extensively in augmentative biological control of aphids, thrips, and whiteflies across its native range in North America, and was introduced into South America in the 1950s. Overwintering H. convergens populations from its native western range in the United States are commercially collected and released across its current range in the eastern USA, with little knowledge of the effectiveness of its augmentative biological control. Here we use a novel ddRADseq‐based SNP/haplotype discovery approach to estimate its range‐wide population diversity, differentiation, and recent evolutionary history. Our results indicate (1) significant population differentiation among eastern USA, western USA, and South American populations of H. convergens, with (2) little to no detectable recent admixture between them, despite repeated population augmentation, and (3) continued recent population size expansion across its range. These results contradict previous findings using microsatellite markers. In light of these new findings, the implications for the effectiveness of augmentative biological control using H. convergens are discussed. Additionally, because quantifying the non‐target effects of augmentative biological control is a difficult problem in migratory beetles, our results could serve as a cornerstone in improving and predicting the efficacy of future releases of H. convergens across its range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]