Genetic linkage maps of the ground crickets Allonemobius fasciatus and Allonemobius socius using RAPD and allozyme markers

The ground crickets, Allonemobius fasciatus and A. socius are sister species and form a mosaic hybrid zone in the eastern United States. In this study, we developed RAPD markers and constructed genetic linkage maps for the two species, as a first step toward mapping quantitative trait loci that control conspecific sperm precedence. The A. fasciatus map consists of 25 markers mapped to 8 linkage groups, spanning 400.1 contiguous centiMorgans (cM). The average distance between two framework markers is 23.5 cM. The A. socius map consists of 20 markers mapped to 6 linkage groups, spanning 400.5 contiguous cM. The average distance between two framework markers is 30.4 cM. A sex chromosome was identified in the A. socius map. These are the first reported genetic linkage maps for Orthoptera.Key words: Allonemobius, allozyme, cricket, hybrid zone, linkage maps, RAPD.