Characterization of 17 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in the mammal chewing louse Geomydoecus ewingi (Insecta: Phthiraptera) for population genetic analyses.

We report 17 novel microsatellite loci in the parasitic chewing louse Geomydoecus ewingi, a common parasite of the pocket gopher, Geomys breviceps . Thirty-three G. ewingi individuals from 1 geographic locality and 3 pocket gopher hosts (populations) were genotyped at each locus. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 13. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.182 to 0.788. Four to 6 loci per louse population fell outside of Hardy-Weinberg expectations (HWE) and examination of population structure also revealed substantial homozygote excess as well as significant structure among louse populations. These findings are likely the consequence of biological characteristics of the lice (low dispersal abilities, population bottlenecks, etc.), which can result in inbreeding. Notably, when all louse individuals were analyzed together as 1 population, a Wahlund effect was detected, supporting that louse populations are restricted to 1 host individual. The microsatellite markers characterized in this study will be useful in future studies exploring the population dynamics in host-parasite systems, potentially yielding a better understanding of the processes underlying symbiotic associations.