Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellites in the specialist grasshopper Ramburiella hispanica (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

We describe 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers for Ramburiella hispanica (Orthoptera: Acrididae), a specialist Mediterranean grasshopper that often forms highly fragmented populations due to extensive clearing of natural vegetation for agriculture. Polymorphism at these loci was evaluated in 20 individuals from La Mancha region, Central Spain. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 7 to 19 and their observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.41 to 0.90 and from 0.76 to 0.91, respectively. These loci will be highly useful for the study of the genetic structure and diversity of this grasshopper species and understanding the demographic and genetic consequences of population fragmentation in Mediterranean terrestrial organisms.