Genetic variation in Chelinidea vittiger Uhler (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

The cactus coreid (Chelinidea vitiger) has been used as a model organism for better understanding patch connectivity and movement between fragmented patches.  It is a habitat specialist that feeds exclusively on prickly pears (Opuntia sp.) and prefers to walk between suitable patches even though it has the ability to fly.  The range of C. vittiger approximately mirrors the range of Opuntia species throughout the United States.  With its limited dispersal ability, genetic diversity within the genus would be expected to be high across the range and low within a given population; however, there has been no genetic examination of this species.  Using a mitochondrial marker, cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI), the genetic variation of distinct populations is examined within a portion of the insects range.