Complete mitochondrial genomes of two cockroaches, Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana, and the phylogenetic position of termites.

The mitochondrial genomes are one of the most information-rich markers in phylogenetics. The relationships within superorder Dictyoptera have been debated in the literature. However, the closely related termites (Isoptera) are retained as unranked taxon within the order Blattaria (cockroaches). In this work, we sequenced the complete mitogenomes of two cockroaches, reconstructed the molecular phylogeny and attempted to infer the phylogenetic position of termites in Blattaria more reliably. The complete mtDNA nucleotide sequences of the peridomestic American cockroach (Periplaneta americana L.) and the domestic German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) are 15,025 and 15,584 bp in size, respectively. The genome shares the gene order and orientation with previously known Blattaria mitogenomes. Most tRNAs could be folded into the typical cloverleaf secondary structure, but the tRNA-Ser (AGN) of P. americana appears to be missing the dihydrouridine arm. Using nucleotide and amino acid sequences as phylogenetic markers, we proposed that termites should be treated as a superfamily (Termitoidea) of cockroaches. We suggested that Polyphagoidea was the sister group of Termitoidea in Blattaria and supported that the suborder Caelifera is more closely related to the Phasmatodea than to the suborder Ensifera of Orthoptera.

Bis(1,3-diethyl-benzimidazolium) tetra-bromidomercurate(II).

In the title compound, (C(11)H(15)N(2))(2)[HgBr(4)], the tetra-coordinated Hg(II) center of the complex anion adopts a distorted tetra-hedral geometry [Hg-Br = 2.5755 (8)-2.623 (11) Šand Br-Hg-Br = 103.78 (19)-116.4 (3)°]. One of the Br atoms is disordered over two sites [site-occupancy factors = 0.51 (6) and 0.49 (6)]. The N-C-N angles in the cations are 110.7 (6) and 111.4 (7)°. In the crystal packing, a supra-molecular chain is formed via both weak inter-molecular C-H⋯Br hydrogen bonds and π-π aromatic ring stacking inter-actions [centroid-centroid separation = 3.803 (1) Å].

Complete mitochondrial genome of the double-striped cockroach Blattella bisignata (Insecta: Blattaria: Blaberoidea).

In this work, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Blaberoidea species, Blattella bisignata. The circle genome (16,470 bp) consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA genes, and an A+T-rich region. The A+T-rich region, which contains five long repeat sequences, is located between the small rRNA and tRNA(Ile) and is 1705 bp in length.