Comparative Analysis of <i>Microtendipes</i> Mitogenomes (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Their Phylogenetic Implications
Insect mitochondrial genomes are vital to understanding evolutionary relationships and identifying species. This study focused on <i>Microtendipes</i> (<i>Chironomidae</i>), a genus with unresolved phylogenetic positioning and cryptic species challenges. We sequenced and anal...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/424 |
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| Summary: | Insect mitochondrial genomes are vital to understanding evolutionary relationships and identifying species. This study focused on <i>Microtendipes</i> (<i>Chironomidae</i>), a genus with unresolved phylogenetic positioning and cryptic species challenges. We sequenced and analyzed eight mitogenomes from five <i>Microtendipes</i> species, integrating 23 published Chironominae mitogenomes to reconstruct phylogenies using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. The mitogenomes exhibited conserved gene arrangements but variable control region lengths (338–1266 bp) and high AT content (94.14–96.42% in control regions). Our results show that <i>Microtendipes</i> species may be a separate group within the subfamily, while also supporting the monophyly of the <i>Harnischia</i>, <i>Polypedilum</i>, and <i>Chironomus</i> complexes. The monophyly of <i>Microtendipes bimaculus</i> was weakly supported, which may demonstrate the presence of two potential cryptic species. Notably, larval morphology-based species groupings conflicted with the molecular data, suggesting that classifications derived from larval morphological traits may be unreliable. This study advances the evolutionary understanding of <i>Chironomidae</i> and underscores the limitations of single-gene barcodes in species-rich genera. |
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| ISSN: | 1424-2818 |