Characterization of 15 Earthworm Mitogenomes from Northeast China and Its Phylogenetic Implication (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae, Moniligastridae)

Abstract

Earthworms are an important ecological group, especially in agricultural regions in Northeast China. However, fewer studies focus on this group of organisms compared with other faunal groups. Here, we sequenced 15 new mitogenomes of Aporrectodea tuberculata Eisen, 1874, A. trapezoides Duges, 1828, Eisenia nordenskioldi Eisen, 1878 and Drawida ghilarovi Gates, 1969 in Northeast China using a high-throughput sequencing platform. These incomplete linear and double-stranded mitogenomes vary from 14,998 bp to 16,123 bp in size and include 37 genes and a putative control region. Intraspecific genetic divergence was quantified in the lumbricid species, and a control region in D. ghilarovi was reported for the first time by comparison to the mitogenomes of the congeners. Phylogenetic analysis based on coding genes and ribosomal DNA datasets using BI and ML inferences showed the non-monophyly of Aporrectodea and polyphyly of E. nordenskioldi. Future works should examine the taxonomy, phylogeny and population genetics not only of Lumbricidae but also the other earthworm families on the global scale using mitogenomic and nuclear data.

Keywords

• earthworms
• phylogeny
• Lumbricidae
• mitogenomes
• non-coding region