Development and characterization of novel microsatellite markers in chestnut tiger butterfly Parantica sita (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) using next-generation sequencing

While one subspecies of chestnut tiger butterfly (Parantica sita, Lepitoptera: Nymphalidae) undertakes seasonal migration between Taiwan and Japan, it is still unknown whether the nominate subspecies, P. s. sita, migrates seasonally in southwest China. To understand the potential migration of P. s. sita, it is necessary to investigate the genetic differentiation among populations. In our study, we developed 18 novel microsatellite markers from the transcriptome using next-generation sequencing methods. These polymorphic markers were tested on 89 individuals from 4 populations of P. sita. The allele numbers ranged from 2 to 19. The average polymorphism information content values in each population ranged from 0.34 to 0.40. The observed (H_o) and expected (H_e) heterozygosity of each locus in each population ranged from 0.043 to 0.870 and 0.043 to 0.833, respectively. These informative microsatellite markers would be helpful for discovering the facts of P. sita long-distance migration in China.