Abstract
We here report the first complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of a skipper, Ctenoptilum vasava Moore, 1865 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Pyrginae). The mt genome of the skipper is a circular molecule of 15,468 bp, containing 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 24 putative transfer RNA (tRNA), genes including an extra copy of trnS (AGN) and a tRNA-like insertion trnL (UUR), 13 protein-coding genes and an AT-rich region. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) are initiated by ATN codons and terminated by the typical stop codon TAA or TAG, except for COII which ends with a single T. The intergenic spacer sequence between trnS (AGN) and ND1 genes also contains the ATACTAA motif. The AT-rich region of 429 bp is comprised of nonrepetitive sequences, including the motif ATAGA followed by an 19 bp poly-T stretch, a microsatellite-like (AT)3 (TA)9 element next to the ATTTA motif, an 11 bp poly-A adjacent to tRNAs. Phylogenetic analyses (ML and BI methods) showed that Papilionoidea is not a natural group, and Hesperioidea is placed within the Papilionoidea as a sister to ((Pieridae + Lycaenidae) + Nymphalidae) while Papilionoidae is paraphyletic to Hesperioidea. This result is remarkably different from the traditional view where Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea are considered as two distinct superfamilies.
Highlights
The taxonomic status and the phylogenetic position of skippers (Hesperiidae) within Lepidoptera remain a controversial issue [1,2,3]
The mt genome of the skipper is a circular molecule of 15,468 bp, containing 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 24 putative transfer RNA, genes including an extra copy of trnS (AGN) and a tRNA-like insertion trnL (UUR), 13 proteincoding genes and an a microsatellite-like (AT)-rich region
The AT-rich region of 429 bp is comprised of nonrepetitive sequences, including the motif ATAGA followed by an 19 bp poly-T stretch, a microsatellite-like (AT)3 (TA)9 element next to the ATTTA motif, an 11 bp poly-A adjacent to tRNAs
Summary
The taxonomic status and the phylogenetic position of skippers (Hesperiidae) within Lepidoptera remain a controversial issue [1,2,3]. The skippers are assigned to the family Hesperiidae in a monotypic superfamily Hesperioidea, a sister lineage to the typical rhopaloceran butterflies, which mostly belong to superfamily Papilionoidea (true butterflies) [2, 4, 5]. Lower primer sequence (5 -3 ) TTGTATGTTTACCTTGGA GGTCTTGTTATTGGTGGA ATAAGGGTTTTCTACTGGT ACTAGGATTAGATACCC CTAAACCAATTCAACATCC a complete mt genome sequence of a skipper from the family Hesperiidae is lacking, despite of a huge diversity of the skippers (>3500 species). We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the skipper, representing the first mt genome sequence from the family Hesperiidae (superfamily Hesperioidea). We compared this sequence with other lepidopteran mt genomes sequences and examined the phylogenetic relationships within lepidopterans and reevaluated the phylogenetic position of skippers. By examining currently available mt genomes in lepidopterans, we find the Hesperioidea is placed within the Papilionoidea, which may be a paraphyletic group
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