Phylogenetic relationships among Bombycinae (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea, and Bombycidae) based on mitochondrial genomes.

The subfamily Bombycinae Latreille, [1802] is an important silk-producing group, including well-known economical insects. Although there are many studies on the development of these economic insects, the relationships between genera/species of this subfamily are still unclear. Two data sets of mitochondrial genomes, 13 protein-coding genes (13PCGs) and 13PCGs-AA, were used to estimate phylogenetic relationships based on the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The results strongly support the subfamily Bombycinae as a monophyletic group divided into two clades.

Fourteen complete mitochondrial genomes of butterflies from the genus Lethe (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) with mitogenome-based phylogenetic analysis.

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) can help us understand the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Lethe and the subfamily Satyrinae. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenomes of 14 Lethe species, which range in size from 15,225 to 15,271 bp, with both 37 genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs) and a noncoding A + T-rich region. The gene arrangement and orientation is similar to typical mitogenomes of Lepidoptera. The Ka/Ks ratio shows that cox1 has the slowest evolutionary rate. The secondary structure of trnN lacks the Pseudouracil loop (TψC loop) in most Lethe species. The inferred phylogenetic analyses show that Lethe is a well-supported monophyletic group, and reveal 2 major clades within the genus Lethe, which is consistent with previous morphological classifications.

The fauna of the family Adelidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Adeloidea) from China.

Ninety-eight species of the family Adelidae, belonging to three genera in two subfamilies, were recorded and described in China, with illustrations of the adults and their genitalia. Keys to subfamilies, genera and species are also provided. Twenty-four new species are described, nine species are newly recorded from China, and four new combinations are made. Ecological photos and DNA barcodes of some species are provided, and the phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences are conducted. The new taxa are as follows: Nemophora pseudalbiantennella Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. badagongshana Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. longlabiae Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. quadrata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. basalistriata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. digitata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. duplicifascia Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. hunanensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. purpurata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. arcuatifasciata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. xizangensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. caerulea Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. songgangensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. conjugata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. latilobula Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. longispina Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. ganziensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. jiajinshana Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. litangensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. tianpingshana Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. triangulifascia Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., N. yajiagengensis Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov., and N. bispina Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, sp. nov. The newly recorded taxa from China are: Nematopogon distinctus Yasuda, 1957, Adela nobilis Christoph, 1882, A. praepilosa Hirowatari, 1997, Nemophora albiantennella Issiki, 1930, N. chionites (Meyrick, 1907), N. smaragdaspis (Meyrick, 1924), N. trimetrella Stringer, 1930, N. optima (Butler, 1878), and N. bifasciatella Issikii, 1930. The new combinations are N. servata (Meyrick, 1925) com. nov., N. diplophragma (Meyrick, 1938) com. nov., N. chionella (Caradja, 1935) com. nov., and N. chrysocharis (Caradja, 1938) com. nov.

Comparative mitochondrial genome analysis and phylogenetic relationship among lepidopteran species.

Lepidoptera has rich species including many agricultural pests and economical insects around the world. The mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) were utilized to explore the phylogenetic relationships between difference taxonomic levels in Lepidoptera. However, the knowledge of mitogenomic characteristics and phylogenetic position about superfamily-level in this order is unresolved. In this study, we integrated 794 mitogenomes consisting of 37 genes and a noncoding control region, which covered 26 lepidopteran superfamilies from newly sequenced and publicly available genomes for comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis. In primitive taxon, putative start codon of cox1 gene was ATA or ATT instead of CGA, but stop codon of that showed four types, namely TAA, TAG, TA and T. The 7-bp overlap between atp8 and atp6 presented as "ATGATAA". Moreover, the most frequently utilized amino acids were leucine (UUA) in 13 PCGs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the main backbone relationship in Lepidoptera was (Hepialoidea + (Nepticuloidea + (Adeloidea + (Tischerioidea + (Tineoidea + (Yponomeutoidea + (Gracillarioidea + (Papilionoidea + ((Zygaenoidea + Tortricoidea) + (Gelechioidea + (Pyraloidea + ((Geometroidea + Noctuoidea) + (Lasiocampoidea + Bombycoidea))))))))))))).

Notes on the genus Neopseustis Meyrick with description of a new species from China (Lepidoptera: Neopseustidae).

A new species, Neopseustis rectagnatha Liao, Chen Huang sp. nov., is described from the Nanling Mountains, China. The photos of the adults, male and female genitalia, and abdominal special structures are presented. The new species is similar to N. meyricki Hering, 1925 and N. sinensis Davis, 1975, but it can be distinguished easily by characters in the male genitalia as the straight gnathos and the lateroposterior process of anellus h-type bifurcated. Key to males of all species of Neopseustis Meyrick, 1909 and some biological information are also given. Molecular analysis based on COI sequences is used to infer the relationship of the new species within Neopseustis.

A new genus Gnathospinosa (Lepidoptera: Tineidae: Euplocaminae) from China, with description of a new species and its taxonomic position.

The genus Gnathospinosa Liao Huang, gen. nov., belonging to the subfamily Euplocaminae, is described with a new species G. qinlingensis Liao Huang, sp. nov. from China as its type species. The new species was illustrated with photographs of the adults and male genitalia. A preliminary phylogenetic study based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (co1) sequence data of the new species and Psecadioides cuneus are presented.

Two new species of Bucculatrix Zeller (Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae) from China.

Two new species of Bucculatrix are described from China: adults and male genitalia of B. yingjingensis Liao, Yagi Huang, sp. nov., are presented; and the adult female and genitalia of B. liubaensis Liao, Kobayashi Huang, sp. nov., are given, along with biological notes. DNA barcodes support the separation of two new species from each other and from related species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Gibbovalva kobusi (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae).

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Gibbovalva kobusi was at first sequenced by high-throughput sequencing. As a circular DNA molecule, the complete mitogenome is 15,717 bp in length (GeneBank accession number: MK956103) and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and an AT-rich region. The nucleotide composition is A (41.0%), C (11.6%), G (7.9%), and T (39.5%). Based on the sequences of complete mitogenome from 11 species as ingroups and 3 superfamily Tineoidea species as outgroups, the phylogenetic trees were constructed. The family Gracilariidae as a monophyletic clade is strongly supported by the bootstrap value of 100%.