Characterization of the mitochondrial genome ofArge bellaWei & Du sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Argidae)

Abstract

We describeArge bellaWei & Du sp. nov., a large and beautiful species of Argidae from south China, and report its mitochondrial genome based on high-throughput sequencing data. We present the gene order, nucleotide composition of protein-coding genes (PCGs), and the secondary structures of RNA genes. The nearly complete mitochondrial genome ofA. bellahas a length of 15,576 bp and a typical set of 37 genes (22 tRNAs, 13 PCGs, and 2 rRNAs). Three tRNAs are rearranged in theA. bellamitochondrial genome as compared to the ancestral type in insects:trnMandtrnQare shuffled, whiletrnWis translocated from thetrnW-trnC-trnYcluster to a location downstream oftrnI. All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, and terminated with TAA, TA or T as stop codons. All tRNAs have a typical cloverleaf secondary structure, except fortrnS1. H821 ofrrnSand H976 ofrrnLare redundant. A phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial genome sequences ofA. bella, 21 other symphytan species, two apocritan representatives, and four outgroup taxa supports the placement of Argidae as sister to the Pergidae within the symphytan superfamily Tenthredinoidea.