Abstract
Sexual selection is thought to result in an elongation of genitalia in insects. Part of the genitalia of the leaf beetle Lema (Lema) coronata Baly is approximately twice the body length in both sexes. Nine microsatellite loci were isolated from L. (L.) coronata for use in future studies on the correlation between genital length and reproductive success. The nine loci were polymorphic, with three to six alleles per locus recorded in 40 individuals. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.08 to 0.38 and expected heterozygosity from 0.51 to 0.75. The non-exclusive probability of the second parent and the identity calculated from the set of loci were 0.011 and < 0.001, respectively. A deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was detected at all nine loci, i.e. significant heterozygote deficiencies, and several hypotheses accounting for this are discussed. The isolated loci carried independent information. Five polymorphic loci were amplified in a related sympatric species, L. (L.) scutellaris, which has relatively short genitalia. These microsatellite makers will be used to determine the paternity of offspring of females multiply mated in the laboratory and compare the selection pressures operating on genital length in these closely related species.
Highlights
Lema (Lema) coronata Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) is an herbivorous beetle approximately 5 mm long, which feeds on commelinaceous plants (e.g. Murdannia keisak and Commelina communis) (Kimoto & Takizawa, 1994)
Related species of Lema have elongated genitalia that vary in length, e.g. L. coronata ca. 2 times and L. scutellaris ca. 0.4 times the body length. (Matsumura & Suzuki, 2008)
Sexual selection is the accepted driving force resulting in the elongation of genital parts and the variability observed in related species (Eberhard, 1985; Hosken & Stockley, 2004)
Summary
Lema (Lema) coronata Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) is an herbivorous beetle approximately 5 mm long, which feeds on commelinaceous plants (e.g. Murdannia keisak and Commelina communis) (Kimoto & Takizawa, 1994). This species has a multivoltine life cycle with the adults appearing and reproducing on its host plants in late May. Extremely elongate genitalia, approximately twice the body length in both sexes, are characteristic of this species (Matsumura & Suzuki, 2008; Matsumura & Akimoto, 2009). Related species of Lema have elongated genitalia that vary in length, e.g. L_coronata ca. Cross-species amplification was tested using L. (L.) scutellaris, the elongation of whose genitalia is markedly different from that of L. (L.) coronata (Matsumura & Suzuki, 2008)
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