Development and characterization of 13 new microsatellite markers in the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)

International audienceWe describe the development of 13 microsatellite markers in the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa. In a single Portuguese population tested, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, and observed heterozygosity from 0.07 to 0.83. Cross amplifications gave satisfactory results for most loci in the T. pityocampa/T. wilkinsoni complex but proved to be of low interest for other species. These markers will be valuable to investigate the population genetic structure of this forest pest, particularly for the expanding populations at the northern limits of its range, and for a new phenological race discovered in Portugal