ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In this study, the entire mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Aleuroclava psidii (Singh, 1931) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was sequenced. The species A. psidii is currently classified in the subfamily Aleyrodinae. This mitogenome is the first representative from the genus Aleuroclava. METHODS: Next-generation sequencing was used to obtain the molecular data. We conducted phylogenetic analyses with 18 existing mitogenomes of whiteflies and three outgroups of psyllids, under the Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference criteria. RESULTS: The arrangement of genes differed between the mitogenome of A. psidii and the putative ancestral insect mitogenome, and also differed from the mitogenomes of other whiteflies. Mitochondrial gene rearrangements involved the transpositions of trnQ, trnY, and the protein-coding gene nad1. Most hemipteran mitogenomes have the same mitochondrial gene order as that inferred to be ancestral for insects. However, there are an increased number of gene rearrangements in the mitogenomes of whiteflies. Phylogenetic reconstructions supported Aleurodicinae and Aleyrodinae as being monophyletic. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of the gene order of mitogenomes revealed a clade-specific evolutionary trend in whiteflies. This study demonstrates the potential of using structural rearrangements to resolve major phylogenetic relationships within Aleyrodidae.
