Do microsatellites reflect genome‐wide genetic diversity in natural populations? A comment on Väli et al. (2008)

A recent study by Väli et al. (2008) highlights that microsatellites will often provide a poor prediction of the genome‐wide nucleotide diversity of wild populations, but does not fully explain why. To clarify and stress the importance of identity disequilibrium and marker variability for correlations between multilocus heterozygosity and genome‐wide genetic variability, we performed a simple simulation with different types of markers, corresponding to microsatellites and SNPs, in populations with different inbreeding history. The importance of identity disequilibrium was apparent for both markers and there was a clear impact of marker variability.     

Morphological and taxonomical novelties in the world's smallest beetles, and the first Old World record of Nanosellini (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae)

Baranowskiella ehnstromi gen.n. and sp.n. of the featherwing beetle tribe Nanosellini (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae), the smallest beetles of all, is described from Sweden. This is the first record of the tribe from the Old World. The holomorphology of Baranowskiella is commented upon and analysed in relation to other nanoselline genera. Several characters previously not known or considered in ptilid or staphylinoid taxonomy are introduced, including the morphology of the elytral venter and metanotum. The surprising occurrence of mesocoxal mycangia and a venteroelytral-metepimeral stridulatory mechanism in Nanosellini, unique among Ptiliidae and previously unknown in Staphylinoidea, is possibly correlated with adaptation to life in bracket fungus pores.