Data from: Species delimitation of the cochineal insects (Dactylopius) using molecular phylogenetics and morphology (Ph.D. thesis)

Cochineal insects (Dactylopius: Dactylopiidae: Coccoidea) are strict cactus parasites that are both pests of agriculture, commercially grown themselves, and useful biological control agents. Any genetic framework for this genus is completely lacking at onset of this project. Work here is focused on species delimitation within the genus Dactylopius. In the first chapter I present a morphological description of a new species of Dactylopius from the Chihuahuan Desert. In the second chapter I delimit the cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus) using mtDNA data using a variety of population genetic and phylogenetic approaches. Third chapter I use mtDNA and nuclear coding and non-coding DNA to delimit the other species found within the genus sampled from across their recorded geographic and host-plant range.

胭脂虫（Cochineal insects）隶属于胭蚧属Dactylopius、胭蚧科Dactylopiidae与蚧总科Coccoidea，是专性仙人掌寄生昆虫，兼具农业害虫、商业养殖物种与有效生物防治剂三重属性。本项目启动之初，该属尚未建立任何系统性的遗传研究框架。本研究核心聚焦于胭蚧属Dactylopius的物种界定工作，具体内容分为三章展开：第一章针对采自奇瓦瓦沙漠的胭蚧属新物种开展形态学描述；第二章依托线粒体DNA（mtDNA）数据，结合多种群体遗传学与系统发育学分析方法，完成了胭脂虫（Dactylopius coccus）的物种界定；第三章则利用线粒体DNA（mtDNA）以及核编码与非编码DNA序列，对该属其余采样物种进行物种界定，样本覆盖了其已记录的全部地理分布范围与寄主植物分布范围。