The complete mitochondrial genome of Apatura laverna (lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

Apatura laverna is subordinate to Apatura Fabricius of Nymphalidae, and endemic to China. The complete mitochondrial genome of A. laverna was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The length of the complete mitogenome is 15,187 bp, including 37 genes and a control region. COI gene initiate with a CGA codon, the rest 12 genes start with typical ATN. Eleven of 13 PCGs have a complete stop codon TAN except for COII and ND4 have a single T. The phylogenetic analyses support that A. laverna has a close relationship with the clade including A. metis and A. ilia.

Mitochondrial Genomes of Hestina persimilis and Hestinalis nama (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): Genome Description and Phylogenetic Implications.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Hestina persimilis and Hestinalis nama (Nymphalidae: Apaturinae) were acquired. The mitogenomes of H. persimilis and H. nama are 15,252 bp and 15,208 bp in length, respectively. These two mitogenomes have the typical composition, including 37 genes and a control region. The start codons of the protein-coding genes (PCGs) in the two mitogenomes are the typical codon pattern ATN, except CGA in the cox1 gene. Twenty-one tRNA genes show a typical clover leaf structure, however, trnS1(AGN) lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) stem. The secondary structures of rrnL and rrnS of two species were predicted, and there are several new stem loops near the 5' of rrnL secondary structure. Based on comparative genomic analysis, four similar conservative structures can be found in the control regions of these two mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analyses were performed on mitogenomes of Nymphalidae. The phylogenetic trees show that the relationships among Nymphalidae are generally identical to previous studies, as follows: Libytheinae\Danainae + ((Calinaginae + Satyrinae) + Danainae\Libytheinae + ((Heliconiinae + Limenitidinae) + (Nymphalinae + (Apaturinae + Biblidinae)))). Hestinalisnama is apart from Hestina, and closely related to Apatura, forming monophyly.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Pontia edusa (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Pontia edusa was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The length of the complete mitogenome is 15,125 bp, including 37 genes and a control region. Twelve genes start with typical ATN, but COI gene initiate with a CGA codon. Twelve of 13 PCGs have a complete stop codon TAA or TAG except for COI has an incomplete stop codon T--. Twenty-one of the 22 tRNAs have a typical clover-leaf secondary structure. The tRNASer(AGN) gene lacked the DHU loop. Bayesian analyses highly support the monophyly of Pieridae. In Pieridae, P. edusa is subordinate to the Pierinae clade.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Mycalesis intermedia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The Mycalesis intermedia belongs to Nymphalidae in Lepidoptera. We described the complete mitogenome of M. intermedia, which is typical circular duplex molecules and 15,386 bp in length, containing the standard metazoan set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and an A + T-rich region with macro-repeat sequences. All the inferred tRNA secondary structures show the common cloverleaf pattern, with the exception of trnS1(AGN) which lacks the DHU arm. The M. intermedia mitochondrial genome has the same gene order with other lepidopterans.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Aporia crataegi, Gonepteryx rhamni, and Appias remedios (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) and phylogenetic relationship of other Pieridae species.

Pieridae is a butterfly family whose higher classification has not yet been settled. In this research, we used completed mitochondrial genome sequence to identify and analyze the relationship of three subfamilies of Pieridae (Dismorphiinae, Coliadinae and Pierinae). We have sequenced the complete mitogenomes of Aporia crataegi, Gonepteryx rhamni, and Appias remedios, which are 15,148 bp, 15,118 bp and 15,223 bp in length, respectively. These three mitogenomes have a typical set of 37 genes and an A+T-rich region. The protein-coding genes, excluding the cox1 gene, in the three mitogenomes are initiated by the typical ATN codons. The putative initiation codon for the cox1 gene in the three species is CGA. tRNA genes in the three Pieridae mitogenomes show typical clover leaf structures, except tRNASer(AGN) which lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) stem. The length of A+T-rich region varies in the three species, which leads to the variation in the mitochondrial genome size. The characterizations of the three mitogenomes enrich our knowledge on the Lepidopteran mitogenome and provide us genetic information to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree. Finally, the phylogenetic analyses using mitogenome data showed that the relationship among three subfamilies of Pieridae is (Dismorphiinae + (Coliadinae + Pierinae)).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly Herona marathus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Herona marathus was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The mitogenome is 15 487 bp in size, including 37 genes and a putative control region. Thirteen protein-coding genes (PCGs) all start with a typical ATN codon, expect that COI gene uses CGA as its initial codon. Majority of the 13 PCGs have a complete termination codon (TAA or TAG) except for COII and ND4 have a single T-- residue. All tRNAs have typical clover-leaf secondary structure, except for tRNASer(AGN), in which the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm is a simple loop. Bayesian analyses support the monophyly of butterflies and recover high supports for the following family level relationships: (Papilionidae + Hesperioidea + (Pieridae + Lycaenidae + (Danaidae + Nymphalidae))).

The mitochondrial genome of the butterfly Polyura schreiber (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the butterfly, Polyura schreiber, was determined. The sequenced mitogenome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15 320 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 21 tRNA genes, and a putative control region. tRNA(Phe) was failed to sequence, which was presumed to be located between tRNA(Glu) and ND5. Protein-coding genes all initiate with ATN codons and terminate with TAA codons except for COII and ND5 use a single T residue as the termination codon. All tRNAs have the clover-leaf structure except for the tRNA(Ser(AGN)) and the length of them range from 65 to 71 bp. The control region is 412 bp long with an A + T content of 90.5%. Our phylogenetic analysis recovered the sister-group relationship between Charaxinae and Satyrinae.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly Hasora anura (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Hasora anura was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The mitogenome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15 290 bp, including 37 genes and a putative control region. All protein-coding genes, except for COI begins with the CGA codon as observed in other lepidopterans, start with a typical ATN initiation codon. Eleven genes terminate with TAA or TAG codons, and two genes use a single T residue as the termination codon. All tRNAs have the typical clover-leaf structure, except that the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of tRNASer(AGN) forms a simple loop. In the sampled species of Hesperiidae, Lobocla bifasciatus (Celaenorrhinus maculosus (Daimio Tethys, Ctenoptilum vasava)), Erynnis montanus, Carterocephalus silvicola, Ampittia dioscorides (Potanthus flavus (Ochlodes venata, Polytremis nascens)), Choaspes benjaminii (Hasora vitta, Hasora anura), are recovered in phylogenetic analyses with high supports.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly Euripus nyctelius (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the butterfly, Euripus nyctelius, was determined in the present study. The mitogenome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15,417 bp, containing 37 genes and a putative control region. Thirteen protein-coding genes all initiate with ATN codons and mostly terminate with TAA or TAG codons except for COII, ND4 and ND5 use a single T residue as the termination codon. All tRNAs have the classic clover-leaf structure, except that the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of tRNA(Ser(AGN)) forms a simple loop. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses support the monophyly of butterflies and recover high supports for the following family level relationships: (Papilionidae + (Hesperioidea +(Pieridae (Lycaenidae + Nymphalidae)))). Euripus nycteliusis is placed as sister to the genus Sasakia within Nymphalidae.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hasora vitta (Butler, 1870) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Hasora vitta was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The mitogenome is 15 282 bp in size, including 37 genes and a putative control region. Thirteen protein-coding genes all start with a typical ATN codon, expect that COI gene uses CGA as its initial codon. Majority of the 13 PCGs have a complete termination codon (TAA or TAG) except for COII and ND4 have a single T residue. All tRNAs have typical clover-leaf secondary structure, except for tRNASer((AGN)), in which the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm is a simple loop. In the sampled species of Hesperiidae, Hasora vitta, Choaspes benjaminii, Ampittia dioscorides, the remaining sampled species, Celaenorrhinus maculosus (Daimio tethys, Ctenoptilum vasava), Potanthus flavus (Polytremis nascens, Ochlodes venata), are recovered in phylogenetic analyses with high supports.

Complete mitogenome of the Lesser Purple Emperor Apatura ilia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Apaturinae) and comparison with other nymphalid butterflies.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Apatura ilia (GenBank accession no. JF437925) was determined as a circular DNA molecule of 15 242 bp, with common genes of 13 putative proteins, 2 rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs and of the same gene arrangement as in other sequenced lepidopterans. All protein-coding genes had the typical start codon ATN, except for the COI's using CGA as its start codon as previously demonstrated in other lepidopteran species. The comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the A. ilia mitogenome with ten other Nymphalidae species showed nearly identical gene orientation and arrangement, with only a few alterations in non-coding fragments. The nucleotide composition and codon frequency all fell into the range estimated for the order Lepidoptera. The A. ilia mitochondrial genome had the canonical set of 22 tRNA genes folded in the typical cloverleaf structure, with an unique exception of tRNA(Ser) (AGN). The mitochondrial genes from A. ilia were overlapped in a total of 33 bp at 9 locations, as well as interleaved with a total of 155 bp intergenic spacers, spread over 12 regions with the size ranging from 1 to 49 bp. Furthermore, the spacer between ND6 and Cyt b harbored a microsatellite-like repeat (TA)(23) not found in other completely sequenced nymphalid genomes. The 403 bp AT-rich region harbored two conserved motifs (ATAGA, ATTTA), a 21 bp polyT stretch, a 10 bp poly-A region, along with two microsatellite-like repeats ( (TA)(10) and (TA)(7)), as detected in other nymphalid butterflies.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly Apatura metis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

As an important pest in the Slender Leaved Willow (Salix alba), Apatura metis is called Freyer's purple emperor, and its mitochondrial genome is 15,236 bp long. The encoded genes for 22 tRNA genes, two ribosomal RNA (rrnL and rrnS) genes, and 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and a control region in the A. metis mitochondria are highly homologous to other lepidopteran species. The mitochondrial genome of A. metis is biased toward a high A + T content (A + T = 80.5%). All protein-coding genes, except for COI begins with the CGA codon as observed in other lepidopterans, start with a typical ATN initiation codon. All tRNAs show the classic clover-leaf structure, except that the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of tRNA(Ser(AGN)) forms a simple loop. The A. metis A + T-rich region contains some conserved structures including a structure combining the motif 'ATAGA' and 19 bp poly (T) stretch, which is similar to those found in other lepidopteran mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analyses of lepidopterans based on mitogenomes sequences demonstrate that each of the six superfamilies is monophyletic, and the relationship among them is (((Noctuoidea + (Geometroidea + Bombycoidea)) + Pyraloidea) + Papilionoidea) + Tortricoidea. In Papilionoidea group, our conclusion argues that ((Lycaenidae + Pieridae) + Nymphalidae) + Papilionidae.

Phylogeny of Apaturinae butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene.

The phylogenetic relationships of genera in the subfamily Apaturinae were examined using mtDNA sequence data from 1,471 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit?(COI). The mitochondrial COI gene from a total of 16 species in 11 genera were sequenced to obtain mtDNA data, along with those of 4 species obtained from GenBank, to construct the MP and the NJ trees using Athyma jina, Penthema adelma, Polyura nepenthes, and Charaxes bernardus as outgroups. The transitions at the third codon positions of the COI data set were found saturated, but they were retained for analysis, because they contain the majority of the phylogenetic information. The impacts of equal weight assumptions for all characters in the parsimonious analysis were assessed by potential alternations in clades in response to different transition/transversion weighting schemes. The results indicated four distinct major groups in Apaturinae. Moreover, several well supported and stable clades were found in the Apaturinae. The study also identified undetermined taxon groups whose positions were weakly supported and were subject to changes under different weighting schemes. Within the Apaturinae, the clustering results are approximately identical to the classical morphological classification. The mtDNA data suggest the genus Mimathyma as a monophyletic group. Lelecella limenitoides and Dilipa fenestra have close relationship with very strong support in all phylogenetic trees. It also supports the taxonomic revision of removing several species from Apatura to other genera, namely Mimathyma schrenckii, M. chevana, M. nycteis, Chitoria subcaerulea, C. fasciola, C. pallas, and Helcyra subalba.