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Here we determined mitogenomes of three Bostrichiformia species. These data were combined with 51 previously sequenced Polyphaga mitogenomes to explore the higher-level relationships within Polyphaga by using four different mitogenomic datasets and three tree inference approaches. Among Polyphaga mitogenomes we observed heterogeneity in nucleotide composition and evolutionary rates, which may have affected phylogenetic inferences across the different mitogenomic datasets. Elateriformia, Cucujiformia, and Scarabaeiformia were each inferred to be monophyletic by all analyses, as was Bostrichiformia by most analyses based on two datasets with low heterogeneity. The large series Staphyliniformia was never recovered as monophyletic in our analyses. The Bayesian tree using a degenerated nucleotide dataset (P123_Degen) and a site-heterogeneous mixture model in PhyloBayes was supported as the best Polyphaga phylogeny: (Scirtiformia, (Elateriformia, ((Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia), (Scarabaeiformia + Staphyliniformia)))). For Cucujiformia, the largest series, we inferred a superfamily-level phylogeny: ((Cleroidea, Coccinelloidea), (Tenebrionoidea, (Cucujoidea + Curculionoidea + Chrysomeloidea))). • Mitogenomes of three Bostrichiformia species were newly sequenced. • General features of the three mitogenomes were analyzed. • Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia, Elateriformia, and Scarabaeiformia were each supported as monophyly. • The series-level relationships in Polyphaga were (Scirtiformia, (Elateriformia, ((Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia), (Scarabaeiformia + Staphyliniformia)))). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Illiberis ulmivora (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). This mitogenome was 15,334 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA unit genes (rrnL and rrnS) and a large non-coding region (putative control region). Compared with the putative ancestral arrangement of insects, gene rearrangements were found in two tRNA clusters (IQM and ARNS1EF) of the I. ulmivora mitogenome: changing trnI-trnQ-trnM to trnM-trnI-trnQ, and changing trnS1-trnE-trnF to trnE-trnS1-trnF. The I. ulmivora mitogenome with an A + T content of 81.47% presented a negative AT-skew (−0.029) and a negative GC-skew (−0.206). All tRNAs had a typical secondary cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1 which lacked the dihydrouridine arm. The maximum likelihood analysis based on mitogenomic data highly supported the monophyly of each of Zygaenidae and Limacodidae within Zygaenoidea, and I. ulmivora was sister to the other four Zygaenidae species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitogenome of Sympetrum striolatum (Odonata: Libellulidae). This mitogenome is 15,435 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA unit genes, and a large non-coding region (putative control region). The S. striolatum mitogenome with an A + T content of 71.54% presented a positive AT-skew (0.081) and a negative GC-skew (−0.127). Twelve PCGs started with a typical ATN codon, the remaining one PCG started with TTG (nad1). All tRNAs had a typical secondary cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1 which lacked the dihydrouridine arm. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree of 29 Odonata species based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs supported the monophyly of Libellulidae and a closer relationship of S. striolatum and Brachythemis contaminata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we determined the nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Chrysochares punctatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), an important insect pest on Apocynum venetum in Northwestern China. This mitogenome was 14,451 bp long, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 21 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The C. punctatus mitogenome presented an A + T content of 75.11%, with a positive AT-skew (0.064) and a negative GC-skew (−0.192). Ten PCGs started with a typical ATN codon, whereas the remaining three PCGs started with AAC (cox1) and TTG (nad1 and nad2). All tRNAs had a typical secondary cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1 which lacked the dihydrouridine arm. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs recovered a phylogeny within Chrysomelidae: (((Chrysomelinae + Galerucinae), (((Eumolpinae, Lamprosomatinae), Cassidinae), Criocerinae)), Bruchinae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the diversity and phylogeny of Scarabaeidae, we sequenced and annotated the nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Amphimallon solstitiale (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). This mitogenome was 13,755 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 19 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and two ribosomal RNA unit genes. The A. solstitiale mitogenome with an A + T content of 69.45% presented a positive AT-skew (0.052) and a negative GC-skew (−0.236). Eleven PCGs started with a typical ATN codon, whereas the remaining two PCGs used CAC (cox1) and GTT (cox2) as the initial codon. All tRNAs had a typical secondary cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1 which lacked the dihydrouridine arm. The Bayesian phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenomic data recovered a phylogeny within Scarabaeidae as (Echirinae + (Scirtifomia + (Aphodiinae + (Melolonthinae + (Rutelinae + Cetoniinae))))). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the complete mitogenome of Pyrrhocoris tibialis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) to better understand the diversity and phylogeny within Pentatomomorpha, which is the second largest infra-order of Heteroptera. Gene content, gene arrangement, nucleotide composition, codon usage, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) structures, and sequences of the mitochondrial transcription termination factor were well conserved in Pyrrhocoroidea. Different protein-coding genes have been subject to different evolutionary rates correlated with the G + C content. The size of control regions (CRs) was highly variable among mitogenomes of three sequenced Pyrrhocoroidea species, with the P. tibialis CR being the largest. All the transfer RNA genes found in Pyrrhocoroidea had the typical clover leaf secondary structure, except for trnS1 (AGN), which lacked the dihydrouridine arm and possessed an unusual anticodon stem (9 bp vs. the normal 5 bp). A total of three different phylogenetic relationships among the five super-families of Pentatomomorpha were obtained using three analytical methods (MrBayes and RAxML under site-homogeneous models and PhyloBayes under a site-heterogeneous CAT + GTR model) and two mitogenomic datasets (nucleotides and amino acids). The tree topology test using seven methods statistically supported a phylogeny of (Aradoidea + (Pentatomoidea + (Lygaeoidea + (Pyrrhocoroidea + Coreoidea)))) as the best topology, as recognized by both RAxML and MrBayes based on the two datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Lymantriinae: Gynaephora ) are the most important pests in alpine meadows of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and have well adapted to high-altitude environments. To further understand the evolutionary history and their adaptation to the TP, we newly determined seven complete TP Gynaephora mitogenomes. Compared to single genes, whole mitogenomes provided the best phylogenetic signals and obtained robust results, supporting the monophyly of the TP Gynaephora species and a phylogeny of Arctiinae + (Aganainae + Lymantriinae). Incongruent phylogenetic signals were found among single mitochondrial genes, none of which recovered the same phylogeny as the whole mitogenome. We identified six best-performing single genes using Shimodaira-Hasegawa tests and found that the combinations of rrnS and either cox1 or cox3 generated the same phylogeny as the whole mitogenome, indicating the phylogenetic potential of these three genes for future evolutionary studies of Gynaephora . The TP Gynaephora species were estimated to radiate on the TP during the Pliocene and Quaternary, supporting an association of the diversification and speciation of the TP Gynaephora species with the TP uplifts and associated climate changes during this time. Selection analyses revealed accelerated evolutionary rates of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes in the TP Gynaephora species, suggesting that they accumulated more nonsynonymous substitutions that may benefit their adaptation to high altitudes. Furthermore, signals of positive selection were detected in nad5 of two Gynaephora species with the highest altitude-distributions, indicating that this gene may contribute to Gynaephora ’s adaptation to divergent altitudes. This study adds to the understanding of the TP Gynaephora evolutionary relationships and suggests a link between mitogenome evolution and ecological adaptation to high-altitude environments in grassland caterpillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]