Complete mitochondrial genome of the gelechioid Hieromantis kurokoi (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae)

Although the Gelechioidea is the second most species-rich group of Lepidoptera, comparatively few mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have been sequenced in this superfamily. Here, we determined the complete mitogenomic sequence of the gelechioid Hieromantis kurokoi (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae) as the basis for a future study of the phylogeny of butterflies and moths (clade Ditrysia). The H. kurokoi genome was 15,208 bp with a typical set of genes (13 protein-coding genes [PCGs], two rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes) and one major non-coding A + T-rich region. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene had a CGA start codon, which is the start codon for this gene in the majority of lepidopteran species, whereas other PCGs began with an ATN codon. A 360 bp-long A + T-rich region harbored the blocks of conserved sequences that are typically found in lepidopteran insects. Phylogenetic analysis using the 13 PCGs and Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum-likelihood (ML) methods indicated that H. kurokoi belonged to the family Stathmopodidae and grouped together with the within-familial species Atrijuglans hetaohei with the highest nodal support (BI, 1.0; ML, 100%).