Mitochondrial genome characteristics of Somena scintillans (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and comparation with other Noctuoidea insects.

In this study, mitogenome of Somena scintillans (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) were sequenced and compared with other Noctuoidea species. The mitogenome is 15,410 base pairs in length. All 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) are initiated by ATN codons except cox1 with CGA and all of PCGs terminate with TAA except nad4 with TAG. The codons ACG and CGC are absent. All the tRNA genes could be folded into the typical cloverleaf secondary structure except the trnS1 which not only loses dihydrouridine (DHU) arm but also mutates its anticodon into TCT. In the AT-rich region of the mitogenome the motif 'ATAGA' mutates to 'ATATA' and two copies of 161 bp-tandem repeats and two 'TA' short tandem repeats are founded. Phylogenetic analyses showed that S. scintillans is clustered into subfamily Lymatriinae. The phylogenetic relationships within Noctuoidea is (((Nolidae + (Euteliidae + Noctuidae)) + Erebidae) + Notodontidae).