Characterization of new microsatellite loci in Pieris amamioshimensis (Ericaceae), a species nearly extinct in the wild

A set of 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers has been developed and characterized for the critically endangered species Pieris amamioshimensis. Fifty‐nine individuals of an ex‐situ population were used to identify these markers. The total number of alleles for each locus ranged from 3 to 9, with an average of 5.4. The expected heterozygosities (HS) and observed heterozygosities (HO) ranged from 0.47 to 0.77 and 0.22 to 0.88, respectively. In total, four loci exhibited significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium: two loci showed significant heterozygosity excess and the other two loci showed significant heterozygosity deficit. The polymorphism information content (0.43 ≤ PIC ≤ 0.73), the probability of exclusions (PE1 = 0.9565, PE2 = 0.9969 and PE3 = 0.9999) and probabilities for identity (PI = 3.78 × 10−9 and PI‐Sib = 2.35 × 10−4) suggest that these markers are useful for estimating not only genetic diversity but also parentage, for the ex‐situ conservation management of populations. The 11 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from P. amamioshimensis. They can be used for the study of genetic diversity and parentage analysis for the management of populations as ex‐situ conservation.