The complete mitochondrial genome of Sinna extrema (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) and its implications for the phylogenetic relationships of Noctuoidea species

Abstract

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) can provide information for phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary biology. Here, we determined the complete mitogenome sequence of Sinna extrema (Noctuoidea: Nolidae). The newly determined mitogenome was 15,345 bp in length and included 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a control region (CR) similar to the known mitogenome of other lepidopterans. The entire mitogenome was biased towards using A and T, with an A + T content of 90.6%. Both the AT and GC skews in the mitogenome of S. extrema were negative. All PCGs were initiated with the standard start codon ATN, while cox1 began with CGA. All tRNA genes had the typical cloverleaf structure, except for the trnS1, which lacked a dihydroxyuridine arm. A gene rearrangement (trnM) was also found in the S. extrema mitogenome. To understand evolutionary relationships, we performed phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum likelihood (ML) methods. Our phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. extrema and Gabala argentata cluster together with high nodal support values, and G. argentata is a member of the family Nolidae, which suggests that S. extrema belongs to Nolidae. Our results provide reference for further phylogenetic research of Noctuoidea species.