Traditional Taxonomy Research Articles

Feeding strategies and habits of the coral guard‐crab Trapezia bidentata

AbstractThe crab Trapezia bidentata is a conspicuous crustacean characterized as an obligate symbiont with branching corals, such as species of Pocillopora. These crustaceans have been identified as strict corallivores with a feeding dependency on the mucus excreted by adult colonies in the genus Pocillopora. However, like other crustaceans, individuals of T. bidentata have a nutritional plasticity that has not been described. We used an integrative approach, including traditional taxonomy and high‐throughput sequencing of hypervariable region V9 of the 18S rRNA gene, to describe the mouthparts and the diet of individuals of Trapezia bidentata associated with adult colonies of Pocillopora verrucosa. The presence of setae on the ambulatory dactylus and maxillipeds, forming food brushes and combs, was evident. Sequencing and analyses of the intestinal content of the crustaceans found evidence of 18 phyla, mostly represented by Brachiopoda (28.1%), Arthropoda (31.7%), and Cnidaria (21.1%), but also small contributions (≤2%) of other animal groups such as Mollusca, Annelida, and Tunicata. In addition, a few traces (≤0.5%) of algae and fungi were identified. The feeding structures and intestinal content showed that individuals of T. bidentata are omnivorous and behave as suspension feeders and scrapers, obtaining nourishment from tissues transported in the water column and in the mucus and tissue of P. verrucosa. The results provide a clearer characterization of the role of T. bidentata, which is a crucial guard crustacean associated with P. verrucosa. We found both corallivorous and suspension‐feeding habits, which demonstrates feeding plasticity, a positive characteristic for the survival of the species.

External morphology and growth patterns of larvae and juveniles of Bryconops gracilis (Characiformes, Iguanodectidae) from Amazon basin

During early development, fishes undergo significant changes that influence external morphology and the functioning of internal organs and systems. This often results in gradual variation of the morphological traits of individuals across developmental stages. The investigation of larval and juvenile fish development and growth patterns has pertinent implications for the systematic and ecological elucidation of species. Bryconops gracilis is a medium-sized fish, omnivorous that inhabits lotic and lentic environments with acidic and transparent waters in the Amazon basin. In this study, the early development of B. gracilis is described, until recently a practically unknown species. In terms of development, we used morphological, meristic, and morphometric data to characterize the larvae and juveniles. The individuals were collected in the Curuá-Una River, Amazon basin, Brazil. Fifty-four specimens were examined. Samples include individuals with 3.39 to 21.79mm SL. Yolk-sac larvae have two attachment organs on the dorsal surface of head and body. The larvae of B. gracilis are considered altricial, with a fusiform body, and the intestine reaches the median region of the body. Initially, the mouth is subterminal and becomes isognathic from the postflexion stage on. During the postflexion stage, the most relevant morphological changes occur (e.g., presence of all fins, mouth position similar to adults, increased body pigmentation), making individuals more specialized to explore new habitats and diets and maximize their chances of survival. Furthermore, vertebrae and myomeres are compared and assist with differentiating some Bryconops species at early life stages that occur in sympatry in the Amazon basin. Our results contribute to knowledge about the external morphology of neotropical freshwater fishes, enabling the identification of larvae and juveniles through traditional taxonomy and broadening the perspective on the ontogenetic study of the adipose fin in Characoidei.

Taxonomic review of the grasshopper genus Pteropera Karsch, 1891 (Orthoptera, Acrididea, Catantopinae) with description of three new species and a preliminary phylogeny of the Cameroonian species.

The Afrotropical grasshopper genus Pteropera Karsch, 1891, is reviewed. Some species present in Cameroon are described, Pteroperaaugustini Donskoff, 1981, is recorded for the first time in the country, and three new species are described from Cameroon, Pteroperakennei Yetchom & Husemann, sp. nov., Pteroperamatzkei Yetchom & Husemann, sp. nov. and Pteroperamissoupi Yetchom & Husemann, sp. nov., increasing the number of Pteropera species in Cameroon from eight to 12, and overall to 30 species in Central Africa. An updated key of Pteropera is provided. Photographs with data on the distributions of all known species are given. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference on the basis of a concatenated dataset of COI, 16S, and 12S markers of available Cameroonian species. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of the concatenated datasets resulted in a well-resolved phylogeny of the group and species of Pteropera were recovered as monophyletic, largely with high support. In all cases, the discrimination of all studied species based on barcode information was congruent with the species limits determined by traditional taxonomy. Our findings show the potential of integrative taxonomy to resolve the relationships among grasshoppers below the family level. Further analyses, including more comprehensive taxon sampling and additional nuclear markers, are needed, and the occurrence of several taxa still needs to be confirmed in African rainforests.

Biology, morphometric and integrative taxonomy of litchi fruit borer, Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley, 1986: A major pest of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

Abstract Conopomorpha sinensis (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), commonly known as the litchi fruit borer, is a devastating pest of litchi, leading to substantial economic losses in fruit production. The present study was incepted to supplement updated information on biology, morphometrics, integrative taxonomy, and phylogenetic analysis of C. sinensis. The duration of developmental stages such as egg, larval, pre-pupal, pupal, male and female adult lasts for 3.45 ± 1.13, 11.10 ± 2.52, 2.05 ± 0.51, 5.85 ± 0.88, 5.55 ± 1.00, and 9.00 ± 1.12 days, respectively. The average fecundity was 33.10 ± 6.84 eggs/female. The head capsule width for five larval instars was 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.18 ± 0.02, 0.34 ± 0.01, 0.58 ± 0.04, and 0.64 ± 0.06 mm, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct species-groups formed by C. sinensis with other fruit borer species considered (C. cramerella, C. litchiella Bradley, and Thaumatotibia batrachopa (Meyrick)). Understanding the life cycle of C. sinensis and its correct identification is crucial for targeted pest control strategies. Traditional and molecular taxonomy assist in rapid and accurate species identification and understanding of the evolutionary relationships among Conopomorpha species.

Phylogenomics supports a single origin of terrestriality in isopods.

Terrestriality, the adaptation to life on land, is one of the key evolutionary transitions, occurring numerous times across the tree of life. Within Arthropoda, there have been several independent transitions: in hexapods, myriapods, arachnids and isopods. Isopoda is a morphologically diverse order within Crustacea, with species adapted to almost every environment on Earth. The order is divided into 11 suborders with the most speciose, Oniscidea, including terrestrial isopods such as woodlice and sea-slaters. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have challenged traditional isopod morphological taxonomy, suggesting that several well-accepted suborders, including Oniscidea, may be non-monophyletic. This implies that terrestriality may have evolved multiple times. Current molecular hypotheses, however, are based on limited sequence data. Here, I collate available genome and transcriptome datasets for 36 isopods and four peracarid crustaceans from public sources, generate assemblies and use 970 single-copy orthologues to estimate isopod relationships and divergence times with molecular dating. The resulting phylogenetic analyses support monophyly of terrestrial isopods and suggest conflicting relationships based on nuclear ribosomal RNA sequences may be caused by long-branch attraction. Dating analyses suggest a Permo-Carboniferous origin of isopod terrestriality, much more recently than other terrestrial arthropods.

The Hippocampus Preorders Movements for Skilled Action Sequences.

Plasticity in the subcortical motor basal ganglia-thalamo-cerebellar network plays a key role in the acquisition and control of long-term memory for new procedural skills, from the formation of population trajectories controlling trained motor skills in the striatum to the adaptation of sensorimotor maps in the cerebellum. However, recent findings demonstrate the involvement of a wider cortical and subcortical brain network in the consolidation and control of well-trained actions, including a brain region traditionally associated with declarative memory-the hippocampus. Here, we probe which role these subcortical areas play in skilled motor sequence control, from sequence feature selection during planning to their integration during sequence execution. An fMRI dataset (N = 24; 14 females) collected after participants learnt to produce four finger press sequences entirely from memory with high movement and timing accuracy over several days was examined for both changes in BOLD activity and their informational content in subcortical regions of interest. Although there was a widespread activity increase in effector-related striatal, thalamic, and cerebellar regions, in particular during sequence execution, the associated activity did not contain information on the motor sequence identity. In contrast, hippocampal activity increased during planning and predicted the order of the upcoming sequence of movements. Our findings suggest that the hippocampus preorders movements for skilled action sequences, thus contributing to the higher-order control of skilled movements that require flexible retrieval. These findings challenge the traditional taxonomy of episodic and procedural memory and carry implications for the rehabilitation of individuals with neurodegenerative disorders.

Performance of DNA metabarcoding, standard barcoding and morphological approaches in the identification of insect biodiversity.

For two decades, DNA barcoding and, more recently, DNA metabarcoding have been used for molecular species identification and estimating biodiversity. Despite their growing use, few studies have systematically evaluated these methods. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of barcoding methods in identifying species and estimating biodiversity, by assessing their consistency with traditional morphological identification and evaluating how assignment consistency is influenced by taxonomic group, sequence similarity thresholds and geographic distance. We first analysed 951 insect specimens across three taxonomic groups: butterflies, bumblebees and parasitic wasps, using both morphological taxonomy and single-specimen COI DNA barcoding. An additional 25,047 butterfly specimens were identified by COI DNA metabarcoding. Finally, we performed a systematic review of 99 studies to assess average consistency between insect species identity assigned via morphology and COI barcoding and to examine the distribution of research effort. Species assignment consistency was influenced by taxonomic group, sequence similarity thresholds and geographic distance. An average assignment consistency of 49% was found across taxonomic groups, with parasitic wasps displaying lower consistency due to taxonomic impediment. The number of missing matches doubled with a 100% sequence similarity threshold and COI intraspecific variation increased with geographic distance. Metabarcoding results aligned well with morphological biodiversity estimates and a strong positive correlation between sequence reads and species abundance was found. The systematic review revealed an 89% average consistency and also indicated taxonomic and geographic biases in research effort. Together, our findings demonstrate that while problems persist, barcoding approaches offer robust alternatives to traditional taxonomy for biodiversity assessment.

Protocolo de recolecta y tinción para el estudio taxonómico de los policládidos (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida)

The taxonomic study of polyclads (order Polycladida) dates back to the 19th century. The traditional taxonomy of these organisms requires a combination of the external and internal morphology of the body and the hermaphroditic reproductive system, where the histological techni que is an indispensable tool that plays a key role in this process. This protocol covers the collection processes up to the preparation of the specimens for histological analysis,adapting and improving techniques previously established by other authors for clear and precise visualization of the anatomical structures. Specimens are collected manually using fine paintbrush, photographed dorsally and ventrally, fixed in 10% frozen formalin neutralized with sodium borate and preserved in 70° ethanol. For taxonomic classification, complete mounts of the organisms and sagittal sections of the hermaphroditic reproductive system are used; a five-step histological protocol including hydration, staining, dehydration/differentiation, cleaning/transparency, and slide mounting is performed for each. This standardized technique complements morphological and taxonomic studies of the taxon.

Molecular identification of some species of dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) using COXI gene and DNA barcodes from Basrah Province, Southern Iraq

The taxonomy of the Odonata group is still poorly understood; therefore, molecular identification has been developed to address the shortcomings of traditional taxonomy, such as misidentification and inconsistencies in reference databases. The mtCOXI gene has been used in animal barcoding studies because of its wide range of phylogenetic signals. Odonata, a diverse group of aquatic insects, has been studied at the molecular level to understand the evolutionary relationships between their species and global species. In the current study in Basrah Province, Iraq, we extracted mitochondrial DNA from adult and nymph Dragonflies and designed species-specific primers to distinguish some of the endemic species at the molecular level. This study identified five species, Crocothemis erythraea, Diplacodes trivialis, Orthetrum sabina, Trithemis annulata and Hemianax ephippiger. The DNA sequences were deposited in the NCBI database for the first time. The nucleotide sequences of the mtCOXI genes were analyzed via BLAST. The similarity results ranged from 91.8% to 100%, indicating related species on the basis of the branches of the phylogenetic tree. The molecular identity of the selected species was confirmed, and DNA barcodes for Anisoptera species from Basrah Province were successfully developed and documented in GenBank and IBIN.

Chemotaxonomy compared to morphological and anatomical taxonomy of five Hibiscus species

Hibiscus is a charismatic genus of the Malvaceae family that is noted for its diversity, lacking identifiable characteristics for distinguishing its various species. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop authentication methods for genus delimitation and species delineation. The present study aims to discern the taxonomic relationships between the well-known, globally familiar, and economically important five Hibiscus species, namely: H. × rosa-sinensis, H. sabdariffa, H. schizopetalus, H. syriacus and H. tiliaceus based on traditional morphological and anatomical characteristics compared to the contemporary chemotaxonomy. In this context, the leaf-based methanolic extracts of the studied species were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC–MS) to estimate their secondary metabolites similarity. In addition, selected qualitative morphological and anatomical traits including leaf venation patterns, epidermal micromorphology, stomata types and trichomes diversity, petiole serial sectioning (outline, adaxial groove features, vasculature traces arrangement), and midrib characteristics of the studied species were investigated. The results of both chemotaxonomy and traditional taxonomy exhibited a remarkable agreement in the delineation of the five studied species. Specifically, the chemotaxonomy-based dendrogram separates the studied species into two main clusters with the H. sabdariffa as an outlier species in a single cluster and the remaining four species as another cluster with variant distances in its similarity indices. Similarly, the traditional morphological and anatomical characteristics revealed distinct traits for H. sabdariffa compared to the remaining four species. The findings of this study highlight the significance of integrating the structural features with phytochemicals profiling as a potential approach that could be harnessed for the delineation of the taxonomically challenging Hibiscus genus.

A new species of coral-dwelling crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae: Opecarcinus) from the West Pacific

Based on material acquired from Green Island, Taiwan, using a combined approach of traditional morphology-based taxonomy and molecular barcoding, we describe a new species of coral-dwelling crab, Opecarcinus ngankeeae sp. nov., from the scleractinian hosts Pavona decussata and P. varians (family Agariciidae). The DNA sequences of the present species matched with O. sp. SET6, associated with plate-forming Leptoseris and Pavona corals, available on Genbank, provided by Xu et al. (2022). The geographical distribution of O. ngankeeae sp. nov. spans from the Coral Triangle and Taiwan to Japan in West Pacific.

Hidden diversity of Aegla (Decapoda, Anomura) in a priority area for conservation

AbstractAegla is a genus of freshwater anomuran crabs encompassing 94 described species occurring in meridional South America. Brazil harbours the greatest diversity of species, mainly in its southern region, which becomes a priority area for Aegla conservation due to high species richness and phylogenetic diversity, elevated endemism and threats to the Atlantic Forest. Here, we assessed Aegla richness and distribution in this priority area and tested the hypothesis of crypticism in the region's species. Sampling sites were distributed inside and in the surroundings of five protected areas, covering the major distribution range of several species described for southern Brazil. We applied three species delimitation methods to COI mitochondrial gene data, coupled with phylogenetic and morphological analyses. By integrating species delimitation based on the COI data and traditional taxonomy, we uncovered a high proportion of hidden diversity among Aegla in our study area and identified ten known species besides impressive 17 new putative species. Of these, eight are possible new taxonomic units that do not conform to any known species, and nine are divided into three cryptic groups: Aegla jarai complex, Aegla franciscana complex and Aegla camargoi complex. Most of these species have a narrow spatial distribution, making them highly vulnerable to habitat degradation. Despite the real richness of the genus still being largely unknown, the high diversity revealed here makes our study area the richest known region regarding the number of Aegla species within its distribution, making this area even more worthy for conservation efforts.

Distribution patterns of soil bacteria, fungi, and protists emerge from distinct assembly processes across subcommunities.

Environmental change exerts a profound effect on soil microbial domains-including bacteria, fungi, and protists-that each perform vital ecological processes. While these microbial domains are ubiquitous and extremely diverse, little is known about how they respond to environmental changes in urban soil ecosystems and what ecological processes shape them. Here we investigated the community assembly processes governing bacteria, fungi, and protists through the lens of four distinct subcommunities: abundant, conditionally rare, conditionally abundant, and rare taxa. We show that transient taxa, including the conditionally rare and conditionally rare or abundant taxa, were the predominant subcommunities. Deterministic processes (e.g., environmental filtering) had major roles in structuring all subcommunities of fungi, as well as conditionally rare and abundant protists. Stochastic processes had strong effects in structuring all subcommunities of bacteria (except rare taxa) and conditionally rare protists. Overall, our study underscores the importance of complementing the traditional taxonomy of microbial domains with the subcommunity approach when investigating microbial communities in urban soil ecosystems.

A new combination for a neglected member of Linaria subsect. Versicolores (Plantaginaceae, Antirrhineae) endemic to the Algarve, Portugal

Linaria bimaculatacomb. et stat. nov., from the overlooked Central Algarve plant endemism centre, is here lectotypified and redescribed as a full species based on Linaria viscosa var. bimaculata, which was historically misidentified under allopatric L. spartea and L. viscosa. Traditional herbarium taxonomy and citizen science observations were combined to document the geographical range of the four species of Linaria subsect. Versicolores in the Algarve and amend an identification key for the Iberian clade of this subsection. Geographical patterns and morphological similarity suggest a sister relationship between L. bimaculata and L. algarviana, unveiling a new possible example of parallel speciation linked to a purple to yellow shift in corolla colour. Besides the yellow flowers, L. bimaculata differs from L. algarviana in the more elongate fertile stems and the invariably erect-patent corolla tube. It is assessed as Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN Categories and Criteria.

THERAPEUTIC BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile: A REVIEW

Medicinal plants continue to be a crucial source of safe, less toxic, economical, available, and reliable natural medicine supplies all over the world. Balanites aegyptiaca Del. (Zygophyllaceae), commonly known as the "desert date", is a thorny shrub or tree found in arid parts of Africa and South Asia. It has traditionally been used to cure a variety of maladies such as wounds, haemorrhoids, jaundice, syphilis, intestinal worm infection, malaria, dysentery, constipation, diarrhoea, stomachaches, asthma, and fever. The fruits of B. aegyptiaca are highly effective as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and anticancer. However, the safety and effectiveness of B. aegyptiaca have not beencompletely studied in humans, so additional well-planned clinical trials are required to corroborate preclinical findings. The WHO has stressed on continued research on medical plants since products derived from plants will continue to be in demand. Searches were conducted on Google Scholar, Science Direct, Google.com, Wiley, PubMed, Hindawi, Springer, and other relevant databases for research publications on B. aegyptiaca. Duplicate publications including thesis papers, and reviews of B. aegyptiaca were excluded This review presents a thorough overview of current information on the therapeutic characteristics of B. aegyptiaca with a focus on its biological activities. It briefly examines its traditional usage, taxonomy, and biological evaluation.

Biosystematics of <I>Sisymbrium irio</I> Complex XIII : Taxonomic Considerations

After a brief discussion on the biosystematic principles in relation to the traditional taxonomy, the variation pattern of the Sisymbrium irio complex has been considered taxonomically. From a utilitarian point of view, the complex is divisible into two (diploid-hexaploid; tetraploid-octoploid) species, although genetically there are four clear cut species. Such an arrangement is also in line with the genomic relations within the complex. For the present, it is proposed to treat the two members of each species as varieties. Only hexaploid matches with the Linnean holotype, and would thus get the name S. irio Linn. Pending a thorough search for synonymy within the species, a tentative scheme has been suggested.

Mitochondrial genome and nuclear ribosomal RNA analysis place Alveonasus lahorensis within the Argasinae and suggest that the genus Alveonasus is paraphyletic.

Two major families exist in ticks, the Argasidae and Ixodidae. The Argasidae comprise 2 sub-families, Argasinae and Ornithodorinae. The placement into subfamilies illuminate differences in morphological and molecular systematics and is important since it provides insight into evolutionary divergence within this family. It also identifies fundamental gaps in our understanding of argasid evolution that provide directions for future research. Molecular systematics based on mitochondrial genomics and 18S/28S ribosomal RNA confirmed the placement of various genera and subgenera into the Argasinae: Argas (including Argas and Persicargas), Navis, Ogadenus, Otobius lagophilus, Proknekalia, Secretargas and the Ornithodorinae: Alectorobius, Antricola (including Antricola and Parantricola), Carios, Chiropterargas, Nothoaspis, Ornithodoros (including Microargas, Ornamentum, Ornithodoros sensu strictu, Pavlovskyella), Otobius sensu strictu, Reticulinasus and Subparmatus. The position of Alveonasus remains controversial since traditional taxonomy placed it in the Ornithodorinae, while cladistic and limited molecular analysis placed it in the Argasinae. The current study aimed to resolve the systematic position of Alveonasus using mitochondrial genomic and 18S/28S ribosomal RNA systematics by sequencing the type species Alveonasus lahorensis from Pakistan. In addition, the mitochondrial genomes for Argas reflexus and Alectorobius kelleyi are reported from Germany and the USA, respectively. The systematic data unambiguously place Alveonasus in the Argasinae and also suggest that Alveonasus may be another paraphyletic genus.

Application of Modern Approaches to Species Delimitation in Freshwater Erpobdellidae (Hirudinea: Arhynchobdellida) with a New Interpretation of Their Genera

The traditional taxonomy of freshwater invertebrates is a labor-intensive process requiring extensive knowledge and experience. In addition, this science is largely subjective, which makes its digitalization difficult. However, accurate species attribution is becoming increasingly important for environmental surveys and conservation efforts. In the 21st century, molecular biology methods have proven to be a successful tool for objectively determining biodiversity. Achieving objectivity in identifying the taxa of non-parasitic leeches of the family Erpobdellidae was the main goal of this study. To this end, various bioinformatic approaches to DNA sequence analysis have been tested. As a result, the phylogenetic diversity amounted to 47 species versus 29 morphospecies defined traditionally. The use of molecular species delimitation methods made it possible to identify seven complexes of morphologically hidden (cryptic) species and some morphological misidentifications, as well as to discover a new species from Eastern Siberia (Erpobdella sibirica) with a unique molecular diagnosis (DNA barcode). A pioneering attempt to apply the same approach to higher taxa showed that Erpobdellidae probably consists of seven genera, including the unambiguous elimination of the genus Motobdella. Obtaining quantitative and, therefore, objective data is an advantage of the molecular approach, which has proven to be effective in recognizing species and genera, at least in leeches.

First report of the complete mitochondrial genome of Carpomya pardalina (Bigot) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and phylogenetic relationships with other Tephritidae

Carpomya pardalina is known for its potential invasiveness, which poses a significant and alarming threat to Cucurbitaceae crops. It is considered a highly perilous pest species that requires immediate attention for quarantine and prevention. Due to the challenges in distinguishing pests of the Tephritidae family based on morphological characteristics, it is imperative to elucidate the mitochondrial genomic information of C. pardalina. In this study, the mitochondrial genome sequence of C. pardalina was determined and analyzed using next-generation sequencing. The results revealed that the mitogenome sequence had a total length of 16,257 bp, representing a typical circular molecule. It consisted of 13 PCGs, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a non-coding region. The structure and organization of the mitochondrial genome of C. pardalina were found to be typical and similar to the published homologous sequences of other fruit flies in the Tephritidae family. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that C. pardalina belongs to the Carpomya genus, which is consistent with traditional morphological taxonomy. Additionally, Carpomya and Rhagoletis were identified as sister groups. This study presents the first report of the complete mitochondrial genome of C. pardalina, which can serve as a valuable resource for future investigations in species diagnosis, evolutionary biology, prevention and control measures.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Paecilomyces variotii and comparative evolutionary mitochondriomics of 36 fungi.

Paecilomyces variotii has important economic value in stimulating crop growth, biodegradation, and other aspects. Up to now, there are no research reports on its mitochondrial genome. The mitochondrial genome of Paecilomyces variotii was determined with the next-generation sequencing method (Illumina, NovaSeq), and its characteristics were analyzed using various bioinformatics approaches. The length of complete mitochondrial genome sequence of P. variotii is 40,965bp and consists of 14 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 1 ribosomal protein S3 gene, 26 transport RNA genes. The results of phylogenetics analysis using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood methods showed that P. variotii belongs to the Eurotiales order in the Thermoascaceae family, and 9 genera within the Eurotiomycetes class were effectively distinguished with high support rates (bootstrap value > 92% and posterior probabilities > 99%). The analysis of synonymous substitution rates and nonsynonymous substitution rates indicated that the Ka/Ks values of the 14 PCGs in the mitochondrial genomes of the two orders in the Eurotiomycetes class ranged from 0 to 0.4333. This study revealed the structural and sequence information characteristics of the mitochondrial genome of P. variotii, and the phylogenetic results strongly support its classification within the family Thermoascaceae, consistent with traditional morphological taxonomy studies. The 14 PCGs in the mitochondrial genomes of the two orders in the Eurotiomycetes class are subject to strong purifying (negative) selection. The results of this research provides an important molecular basis for the development of genomics, evolutionary genetics and molecular markers of P. variotii in the future.