Microsatellite characterisation and sex-typing in two invasive parakeet species, the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus and ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri

Ben J. Hatchwell,Gavin J. Horsburgh,Francesca S. E. Dawson Pell,Juan Carlos Senar,Deborah A. Dawson,Alba Ortega-Segalerva

doi:10.1007/s11033-019-05215-6

Ben J. Hatchwell, Gavin J. Horsburgh + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-05215-6

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Abstract

Invasive species can have wide-ranging negative impacts, and an understanding of the process and success of invasions can be vital to determine management strategies, mitigate impacts and predict range expansions of such species. Monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) and ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are both widespread invasive species, but there has been little research into the genetic and social structure of these two species despite the potential links with invasion success. The aim of this study was to isolate novel microsatellite loci from the monk parakeet and characterise them in both monk and ring-necked parakeets in order to facilitate future investigations into their behaviour and population ecology. Sex-typing markers were also tested in both species. Of the 20 microsatellite loci assessed in 24 unrelated monk parakeets, 16 successfully amplified and were polymorphic displaying between 2 and 14 alleles (mean = 8.06). Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.43 to 0.93 and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 to 0.96. Nine of the 20 loci also successfully amplified and were polymorphic in the ring-necked parakeet, displaying between 2 and 10 alleles. Suitable markers to sex both species and a Z-linked microsatellite locus were identified. A multiplex marker set was validated for monk parakeets. These novel microsatellite loci will facilitate fine and broad-scale population genetic analyses of these two widespread invasive species.

Highlights

Invasive species are nonindigenous species that establish self-sustaining populations beyond their native range [1, 2]
As a popular pet species, tens of thousands of monk parakeets have been exported from their native South America to meet the demands of the international pet trade [9–11]
Multiplex Manager 1.2 [45] was used to generate a multiplex marker set from these 16 loci, optimised in three plexes; these multiplexes were validated by genotyping the same 24 individual monk parakeets that had been genotyped in single-plex (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Invasive species are nonindigenous species that establish self-sustaining populations beyond their native range [1, 2]. The negative impacts of invasive species can be wideranging and include: extensive economic and environmental damage [3, 4], threats to biodiversity [5, 6] and damage to human health [7, 8]. Two such invasive species are the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). As a popular pet species, tens of thousands of monk parakeets have been exported from their native South America to meet the demands of the international pet trade [9–11]. In Europe, monk parakeets are among the invasive bird species with the potential to cause the most acute economic impacts [3]. Substantial crop damage caused by foraging monk parakeets has been identified in the agricultural belt surrounding the

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