New microsatellite markers for the assessment of fine-scale dispersal patterns in the endangered montane caddisfly Drusus discolor

We present a panel of variable microsatellite markers for the montane caddisfly Drusus discolor, a rare species that we use as a model for the assessment of climate change effects on the montane freshwater community. 454 sequencing technology was used in order to generate random sequence data. Of a total of 2,648 microsatellite-carrying fragments identified, 11 variable, reproducible markers were generated and tested on 41 individuals from two populations. Allelic diversity ranged from 3 to 10 alleles and heterozygosity values varied from 0 to 0.89 (H O) and 0.12 to 0.86 (H E). A cross-species test on four caddisfly species showed that a subset of markers amplifies in related taxa.