Microsatellite polymorphism in tsetse flies (Diptera : Glossinidae)

In sub-Saharan Africa, tsetse flies are the vectors of trypanosomes. the ca usative agents of sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. Certai n wild populations of the palpalis group exhibit intraspecific variation an d are suspect of manifest differences in vectorial capacity. The current st udy reports the identification of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci from G lossina palpalis palpalis Robinean-Desvoidy. The majority of these markers amplify corresponding loci from the related species C. p, gambiensis Vander plank, G. f. fuscipes Newstead, and G. tachinoides Westwood. Only seven of 13 loci were amplified from G. austeni Newstead. Genetic variability was es timated in one field population of G. p. gambiensis. These results confirme d that microsatellite markers may be used to examine the subpopulation stru cture of tsetse flies.