Data from: Genetic differentiation of the pine processionary moth at the southern edge of its range: contrasting patterns between mitochondrial and nuclear markers

The pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is an important pest
of coniferous forests at the southern edge of its range in Maghreb. Based
on mitochondrial markers, a strong genetic differentiation was previously
found in this species between western (pityocampa clade) and eastern
Maghreb populations (ENA clade), with the contact zone between the clades
located in Algeria. We focused on the moth range in Algeria, using both
mitochondrial (a 648 bp fragment of the tRNA-cox2) and nuclear (11
microsatellite loci) markers. A further analysis using a shorter mtDNA
fragment and the same microsatellite loci was carried out on a transect in
the contact zone between the mitochondrial clades. Mitochondrial diversity
showed a strong geographical structure and a well-defined contact zone
between the two clades. In particular, in the pityocampa clade, two inner
subclades were found whereas ENA did not show any further structure.
Microsatellite analysis outlined a different pattern of differentiation,
with two main groups not overlapping with the mitochondrial clades. The
inconsistency between mitochondrial and nuclear markers is probably
explained by sex-biased dispersal and recent afforestation efforts that
have bridged isolated populations.