Abstract
The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella is a widespread pest of stored products and a classical object in experimental biology. In the present study, we determined its complete mitochondrial genome sequence. The genome is circular, consists of 15,327 bp and comprises 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA- and 22 tRNA-coding genes in an order typical for the Ditrysia clade of the order Lepidoptera. A phylogenetic study of the Lepidoptera based on complete mitochondrial genomes places E. kuehniella correctly in the family Pyralidae and supports major lepidopteran taxa as phylogenetic clades. The W chromosome of E. kuehniella is an exceptionally rich reservoir of originally mitochondrial sequences (numts). Around 0.7% of the W DNA was found to be of mitochondrial origin, 83% of the mitogenome sequence was represented between 1-11 × in the W chromosome. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that these numts are an evolutionary recent acquisition of the W chromosome.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Entomology |
| Volume | 113 |
| Pages (from-to) | 482-488 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 1210-5759 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.01.2016 |
Funding
We thank G. Sczakiel and M. Schütt (Universität zu Lübeck) for calculating the minimum energy profile and interpretation of potential secondary structures; M. Bernt (Universität Leipzig, Germany), D. Cherkasov (Genovoxx, Marburg, Germany), R. Duden (Universität zu Lübeck), and B. Misof (Universität Bonn, Germany) for their valuable suggestions concerning the writing of the manuscript; C. Reuter for technical assistance; and H.D. Loxdale for his editorial suggestions which have also helped to improve the manuscript.
