ABSTRACT
Millipedes (Diplopoda) comprise one of the most important groups of large soil arthropods in terrestrial ecosystems; however, their phylogenetic relationships are poorly understood. Herein, the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Spirobolus bungii was sequenced and annotated, which was 14,879 bp in size and included 37 typical mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs)). Most of the 13 PCGs had ATN (AT/A/T/G) as the start codon except for COX1, which used CGA, and most PCGs ended with the T end codon. By comparing the gene arrangements of the mitogenomes among Diplopoda species, rearrangement occurred between and within orders. In contrast to Narceus annularus, the mitogenome genes of S. bungii had consistent orders but were transcribed in completely opposite directions, which was a novel finding in Spirobolidae. Moreover, the phylogenetic relationships within Diplopoda, which were based on the sequences of 13 PCGs, showed that S. bungii was clustered with N. annularus, followed by Abacion magmun. This indicated that there might be a close relationship between Callipodida and Spirobolida. These results could contribute to further studies on the genetics and evolutionary processes of S. bungii and other Diplopoda species.
