Complete mitochondrial genome of the hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).

Currently, the mitochondrial genome of only two species of Sphingidae have been completely sequenced. For the phylogenetic study of Bombycoidea (including Bombycidae, Saturniidae and Sphingidae) using mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), more species are required as a basis for future research. In the present study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of the hawkmoth, (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), to enrich the Sphingidae database. The length of the genome was 15,303 bp with a typical set of genes (13 protein-coding genes [PCGs], 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes), and one major non-coding A + T-rich region. The 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 ATN codons. A 318-bp A + T-rich region harbored the blocks of conserved sequences that are typically found in lepidopteran insects, excluding a poly-A stretch, which is typically found at the end of the A + T-rich region. Phylogenetic analysis using the 13 PCGs indicated that grouped together with two within-familial species, and , with the highest nodal support both by Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood methods, forming the Sphingidae monophyletic group.