Chun-Sheng Wu

Characterization of the complete mitochondrion genome of diurnal Moth Amata emma (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and its phylogenetic implications.

Mitogenomes can provide information for phylogenetic analyses and evolutionary biology. The complete mitochondrial genome of Amata emma (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The circular genome is 15,463 bp in size, with the gene content, orientation and order identical to other ditrysian insects. The genome composition of the major strand shows highly A+T biased and exhibits negative AT-skew and GC-skew. The initial codons are the canonical putative start codons ATN with the exception of cox1 gene which uses CGA instead. Ten genes share complete termination codons TAA, and three genes use incomplete stop codons TA or T. Additionally, the codon distribution and Relative Synonymous Codon Usage of the 13 PCGs in the A. emma mitogenome are consistent with those in other Noctuid mitogenomes. All tRNA genes have typical cloverleaf secondary structures, except for the trnS1 (AGN) gene, in which the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm is simplified down to a loop. The secondary structures of two rRNA genes broadly conform with the models proposed for these genes of other Lepidopteran insects. Except for the A+T-rich region, there are three major intergenic spacers, spanning at least 10 bp and five overlapping regions. There are obvious differences in the A+T-rich region between A. emma and other Lepidopteran insects reported previously except that the A+T-rich region contains an ‘ATAGA’ -like motif followed by a 19 bp poly-T stretch and a (AT)9 element preceded by the ‘ATTTA’ motif. It neither has a poly-A (in the α strand) upstream trnM nor potential stem-loop structures and just has some simple structures like (AT)nGTAT. The phylogenetic relationships based on nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods provided a well-supported a broader outline of Lepidoptera and which agree with the traditional morphological classification and recently working, but with a much higher support.

Phylogenetic Reconstruction and DNA Barcoding for Closely Related Pine Moth Species (Dendrolimus) in China with Multiple Gene Markers

Unlike distinct species, closely related species offer a great challenge for phylogeny reconstruction and species identification with DNA barcoding due to their often overlapping genetic variation. We tested a sibling species group of pine moth pests in China with a standard cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and two alternative internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes (ITS1 and ITS2). Five different phylogenetic/DNA barcoding analysis methods (Maximum likelihood (ML)/Neighbor-joining (NJ), “best close match” (BCM), Minimum distance (MD), and BP-based method (BP)), representing commonly used methodology (tree-based and non-tree based) in the field, were applied to both single-gene and multiple-gene analyses. Our results demonstrated clear reciprocal species monophyly for three relatively distant related species, Dendrolimus superans, D. houi, D. kikuchii, as recovered by both single and multiple genes while the phylogenetic relationship of three closely related species, D. punctatus, D. tabulaeformis, D. spectabilis, could not be resolved with the traditional tree-building methods. Additionally, we find the standard COI barcode outperforms two nuclear ITS genes, whatever the methods used. On average, the COI barcode achieved a success rate of 94.10–97.40%, while ITS1 and ITS2 obtained a success rate of 64.70–81.60%, indicating ITS genes are less suitable for species identification in this case. We propose the use of an overall success rate of species identification that takes both sequencing success and assignation success into account, since species identification success rates with multiple-gene barcoding system were generally overestimated, especially by tree-based methods, where only successfully sequenced DNA sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree. Non-tree based methods, such as MD, BCM, and BP approaches, presented advantages over tree-based methods by reporting the overall success rates with statistical significance. In addition, our results indicate that the most closely related species D. punctatus, D. tabulaeformis, and D. spectabilis, may be still in the process of incomplete lineage sorting, with occasional hybridizations occurring among them.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was determined as a circular molecular of 15,273 bp in size. The mitogenome composition (37 genes) and gene order are the same as the other lepidopterans. Nucleotide composition of the C. cephalonica mitogenome is highly A+T biased (80.43%) like other insects. Twelve protein-coding genes start with a typical ATN codon, with the exception of coxl gene, which uses CGA as the initial codon. Nine protein-coding genes have the common stop codon TAA, and the nad2, cox1, cox2, and nad4 have single T as the incomplete stop codon. 22 tRNA genes demonstrated cloverleaf secondary structure. The mitogenome has several large intergenic spacer regions, the spacer1 between trnQ gene and nad2 gene, which is common in Lepidoptera. The spacer 3 between trnE and trnF includes microsatellite-like repeat regions (AT)18 and (TTAT)3. The spacer 4 (16 bp) between trnS2 gene and nad1 gene has a motif ATACTAT; another species, Sesamia inferens encodes ATCATAT at the same position, while other lepidopteran insects encode a similar ATACTAA motif. The spacer 6 is A+T rich region, include motif ATAGA and a 20-bp poly(T) stretch and two microsatellite (AT)9, (AT)8 elements.

Descriptions of three new species of Ypsolopha Latreille (Lepidoptera: Ypsolophidae) from East Asia, redescription of Y. contractella (Caradja) and a checklist of East Asian Ypsolopha

Three new species of Ypsolopha Latreille are described from East Asia: Y. helva Sohn et Wu, n. sp., Y. sordida Sohn et Wu, n. sp., both from China; Y. pseudoparallela Sohn et Ponomarenko, n. sp. from Japan. Redescription of Y. contractella (Caradja), a poorly known species, is given with the first illustrations of genitalia of both species. The new combination, Ypsolopha diana (Caradja), transferred from Cerostoma, is proposed. Exclusion of Cerostoma xenicopis Meyrick from Ypsolopha is suggested with notes of its lectotype. The following new synonyms are proposed: Ypsolopha hebeiensis Yang, 1977 syn. n. = Y. leuconotella (Snellen, 1884); Ypsolopha affinitella (Staudinger, 1892) syn. n. = Y. dentella (Fabricius, 1775). Eight species are newly reported from China: Ypsolopha acuminata (Butler), Y. cristata Moriuti, Y. dentella (Fabricius), Y. japonica Moriuti, Y. nemorella (Linnaeus), Y. parenthesella (Linnaeus), Y. satellitella (Staudinger) and Y. yasudai Moriutu; two species are new to China and Korea, Y. amoenella (Christoph) and Y. asperella (Linnaeus); Y. contractella (Caradja) is new to Japan, Korea and China. A checklist of 42 species of Ypsolopha recorded from East Asia is provided.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Acleris fimbriana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract The yellow tortrix, Acleris fimbriana belongs to Tortricidae in Lepidoptera. We described the complete mitogenome of A. fimbriana, which is typical circular duplex molecules and 15,933 bp in length containing the standard metazoan set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and an A + T-rich region with macro-repeat sequences. All the inferred tRNA secondary structures show the common cloverleaf pattern, with the exception of trnS1(AGN) which lacks the DHU arm. The A. fimbriana mitochondrial genome has the same gene order with other lepidopterans.

A Review of the Genus Coenodomus Walsingham, 1888 in China (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Epipaschiinae), with Descriptions of Four New Species

Abstract. Nine species of the genus Coenodomus (including one unnamed species) are recognized from China. Among them, four species are described as new to science: C. anacanthos sp. nov., C. pachycaulosus sp. nov., C. puniceus sp. nov. and C. stigma. sp. nov. Two species, C. fumosalis (Hampson, 1903) and C. rotundinidus Hampson, 1891 are reported in China for the first time. All adults and their genital structures are illustrated. A key to the Chinese species and an updated checklist of the genus are provided.

Two new genera and three new species of Epipaschiinae Meyrick from China (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)

Abstract Two new genera of Epipaschiinae are described. The genus Arcanusa Wang, Chen & Wu, gen. n. is established for Ar. apexiarcanusa Wang, Chen & Wu, sp. n. and Ar. sinuosa (Moore, 1888), comb. n., described in Scopocera Moore, 1888 (junior synonym of Stericta Lederer, 1863). The female genitalia of Ar. sinuosa (Moore, 1888), comb. n. are described for the first time. Androconia Wang, Chen & Wu, gen. n. is erected, including two new species, An. rallusa Wang, Chen & Wu, sp. n. and An. morulusa Wang, Chen & Wu, sp. n. Illustrations of all adults and their genitalia, and a key to the two new genera are provided.

A Taxonomic Review of Attevidae (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea) from China with Descriptions of Two New Species and a Revised Identity of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth, Atteva fabriciella, from the Asian Tropics

Abstract This review describes four species of Atteva (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Attevidae) from China, including two new species: A. wallengreni n. sp. and A. yanguifella n. sp. The taxonomic identity of the Ailanthus webworm moth from South and Southeast Asia is revised with a designation of neotype for Phalaena (Tinea) fabriciella Swederus. Lectotypes of Atteva brucea Moore and A. niviguttella Walker are designated. Atteva brucea is synonymized with A. fabriciella. Synonymy of Atteva niviguttella and A. fabriciella is reconfirmed. The previous Chinese records of A. fabriciella were based on confusions with A. wallengreni n. sp. Confirmed specimens of A. fabriciella from China are reported. A pair of confused species, A. fabriciella and A. wallengreni n. sp., are distinguished by the number of white dots on the forewings and the genital features. Another confused pair, A. niveigutta and A. yanguifella n. sp., are compared by external and genital features. All type specimens of the described species are illustrated and compared with the conspecific specimens from various countries of the Asian tropics. Keys to all the species from China are provided.