Genetic linkage maps of the ground crickets Allonemobius fasciatus and Allonemobius socius using RAPD and allozyme markers

Abstract

The ground crickets, Allonemobius fasciatus and A. socius are sister species and form a mosaic hybrid zone in the eastern United States. In this study, we developed RAPD markers and constructed genetic linkage maps for the two species, as a first step toward mapping quantitative trait loci that control conspecific sperm precedence. The A. fasciatus map consists of 25 markers mapped to 8 linkage groups, spanning 400.1 contiguous centiMorgans (cM). The average distance between two framework markers is 23.5 cM. The A. socius map consists of 20 markers mapped to 6 linkage groups, spanning 400.5 contiguous cM. The average distance between two framework markers is 30.4 cM. A sex chromosome was identified in the A. socius map. These are the first reported genetic linkage maps for Orthoptera.Key words: Allonemobius, allozyme, cricket, hybrid zone, linkage maps, RAPD.