[Objectives]  To investigate genetic variation in Calliptamus italicus（L.）, an important pest of desert and semi-desert grasslands in Xinjiang. [Methods]  Microsatellite loci were analyzed from the transcriptome dataset of C. italicus, and primers designed for PCR amplification. SSR loci were identified using MISA, and primers were designed using Primer 5 for experimental validation. [Results]  In total, 156 500 SSR loci distributed in 126 369 unigenes were detected. The majority of these were mono-nucleotides (60.88%), followed by di-nucleotides (23.58%), tri-nucleotides (12.99%), and tetra-nucleotides (2.04%). The most abundant mono-nucleotide repeat motif was A/T (44.38%). The dominant motif among the di-nucleotide repeat units was AC/GT (12.99%), followed by AG/CT (8.05%). 24 primer pairs were randomly selected to validate SSR loci detected with genomic DNA from multiple individuals from 10 different geographic populations. 6 primer pairs amplified the expected products. [Conclusion]  Based on transcriptome data, 156 500 SSR loci were identified which can provide a foundation for research on molecular markers, population genetics and functional genes of C. italicus.