Mitochondrial genome characteristics of two Sphingidae insects ( Psilogramma increta and Macroglossum stellatarum ) and implications for their phylogeny

Abstract In this study, complete mitogenomes of P . increta and M . stellatarum (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) were sequenced and compared with other Sphingidae species. The mitogenomes containing 37 genes and a AT rich region are circular molecules with 15,252 and 15,290 base pairs in length respectively. Except cox1 all 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) are initiated by ATN codons. Most of PCGs terminate with TAA except nad5 and cox1 in P . increta and nad5 and cox2 in M . stellatarum . Ile and Leu2 are the most frequently used codon families in both species and codons CGC, CCG, TCG and ACG are absent in P . increta while in M . stellatarum CGC, CCG, CTG, AGG are absent. All the tRNA genes could be folded into the typical cloverleaf secondary structure except the trnS1 of P . increta which lost dihydrouridine (DHU) stem. The AT-rich region of both insects includes the motif ATAGA followed by a 18–19 bp polyT stretch and 2–3 short tandem repeats (STRs) of TA, and a poly-A element. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the phylogenetic relationships are ((( Sphinx morio  +  Manduca sexta ) + ( P . increta  +  Notonagemia analis scribae )) + ( Agrius convolvuli ) + ( M . stellatarum  + ( Ampelophaga rubiginosa  +  Daphnis nerii )).