Complete mitochondrial genome of Rotunda rotundapex Miyata & Kishida 1990 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), which was named as Bombyx shini Park & Sohn 2002

Bombyx shini Park & Sohn, 2002 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), which was listed as an endemic species in South Korea has recently been renamed as the East Asian silk moth Rotunda rotundapex Miyata & Kishida, 1990 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae). In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the R. rotundapex to announce genomic characteristics and to clarify its validity with a new name. The 15,294-bp long complete mitogenome comprises a typical set of genes [13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes] and one major noncoding, A + T-rich region, with an arrangement identical to that observed in most lepidopteran mitogenomes. The A/T content of the whole mitogenome was 79.22%; however, it varied among the regions/genes as follows: A + T-rich region, 91.62%; srRNA, 84.67%; lrRNA, 83.01%; tRNAs, 81.43%; and PCGs, 77.46%. Phylogenetic analyses of 35 species in the Bombycoidea superfamily showed the sister relationship between the families Sphingidae and Bombycidae s. str., with the higher nodal support [bootstrap support (BS) = 78%]. The Saturniidae was placed as the sister to the two families, but the nodal support for this relationship was low (BS = 53%). Current R. rotundapex was placed together with previously reported con-species with the highest nodal support, forming a separate clade from Bombyx, validating that B. shini can have a new genus name, Rotunda. However, the Korean R. rotundapex showed a substantial sequence divergence at 5.28% to that originated from an individual of type locality Taiwan in 1,459-bp of COI sequences. Considering such a high sequence divergence an additional study, which includes morphological and DNA barcoding data from further extensive distributional range maybe is needed for further robust taxonomic conclusion.