Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Five Species of Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) and Phylogenetic Implications

Abstract

Ricaniidae is a relatively small planthopper family with about 69 genera and 442 species worldwide. Members of this family occur throughout the warm temperate and tropical regions. Some species cause devastating damage to major agricultural and economic plants. However, the relationship between Ricaniidae and other families of Fulgoroidea needs to be further explored. The morphological definitions of the two biggest genera, Pochazia Amyot & Serville, 1843 and Ricania Germar, 1818 (the type genus of Ricaniidae) remain controversial. In this study, mitogenomes of five representatives in these two genera were decoded using the next-generation sequence method and genome assembly. Results showed that their complete mitogenomes are circular DNA molecules with 15,457 to 16,411 bp. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) begin with the start codon ATN, GTG or TTG and end with TAA, TAG, an incomplete stop codon single T or an incomplete stop codon single A. A lost DHU arm was discovered in the trnS gene of the five mitogenomes and the trnV gene within Pochaziaconfusa, Pochazia guttifera and Ricania simulans. The remnant tRNAs folded into clover-leaf structures. The sliding window, genetic distance, and Ka/Ks analyses indicated that the cox1 gene is the slowest evolving and is relatively conserved. The phylogenetic tree topologies support (Delphacidae + (((Issidae + (Lophopidae + Caliscelidae)) + (Flatidae + Ricaniidae)) + (Achilidae + (Dictyopharidae + Fulgoridae)))) as the best topology, as recognized by both PhyloBayes, RAxML and MrBayes based on four data sets (PCG, PCGRNA, PCG12, PCG12RNA). The monophyly of Ricaniidae and the sister group status of two families Flatidae and Ricaniidae are supported, but all analyses failed to support the monophyly of Pochazia and Ricania. The diagnoses between these two genera cannot be resolved until more evidence is acquired.

The first complete mitochondrial genome of Matsucoccidae (Hemiptera, Coccoidea) and implications for its phylogenetic position

“…4 ). The lowest nucleotide diversity in cox1 is in agreement with observations in most sequenced insect mitogenomes ( Ma et al 2019 , Ge et al 2021 , Li et al 2021 , Zhang et al 2022 ), which presumably accounts for its ability to provide reliable species identification.…”

Characterization of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Schizothorax kozlovi (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae, Schizothorax) and Insights into the Phylogenetic Relationships of Schizothorax

“…In this study, the majority of PCGs were represented by complete stop codons of TAA or TAG. Specifically, three PCGs (cox2, nad4, cob) exhibited incomplete stop codons of single T. Zhang et al [ 58 ] reported that the incomplete stop codons in some PCGs were a common feature of most species of vertebrates. But we also found that there are differences in the incomplete stop codons between species from distinct taxa.…”

Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis

“…Pochazia shantungensis (Chou and Lu, 1977) is an insect of the family Ricaniidae within the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha, infra-order Fulgoromorpha. Its taxonomic placement has been recently reviewed by Stroi nski and Bourgoin (2022), based on morphological analyses, and on a study of the complete mitochondrial genome by Zhang et al (2022). Their conclusions are still provisional, Identity of the pest (Section 3.1) Is the identity of the pest clearly defined, or has it been shown to produce consistent symptoms and to be transmissible?…”

“…Its taxonomic placement has been recently reviewed by Stroiński and Bourgoin ( 2022 ), based on morphological analyses, and on a study of the complete mitochondrial genome by Zhang et al. ( 2022 ). Their conclusions are still provisional, pending a more complete taxonomic revision of the full group.…”

“…Rahman et al (2012) provide a key to the species of Pochazia in the Republic of Korea Kwon et al (2017). used two sets of nuclear and mitochondrial markers to analyse the phylogeny of P. shantungensis;Kang et al (2020) have sequenced and annotated its complete mitochondrial genome;Zhang et al (2022) published a comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes of five species of Ricaniidae belonging to the genera Pochazia and Ricania. There are 145 accessions in GeneBank regarding the mitochondrial genome of P. shantungensis.…”