Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Holotrichia parallela (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Abstract

Holotrichia parallela (Motschulsky, 1854) is an important pest for peanut, potato, and soybean in China, and it causes great economic losses. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of H. parallela. This mitogenome was 16,975 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). Gene order was conserved and identical to most other previously sequenced Scarabaeidae. Most PCGs of H. parallela have the conventional start codons ATN, with the exception of cox1 (AAC). Except for three genes (cox1, cox2, and cox3) end with the incomplete stop codon T−, all other PCGs terminated with the stop codon TAA or TAG. Phylogenetic analysis positioned H. parallela in a well-supported clade with Rhopaea magnicornis, Polyphylla gracilicornis, and Melolontha hippocastani. The relationships (Dynastinae+(Cetoniinae+(Melolonthinae+(Rutelinae + Scarabaeinae)))) were supported in Scarabaeidae.

Keywords

• scarabaeidae
• holotrichia parallela
• mitochondrial genome
• phylogenetic analysis