Mitochondrial genomes offer markers useful for understanding evolutionary relationships among insects. The Insect Mitochondrial Genome Database (IMGD), which was developed to support phylogenetic studies using insect mitochondrial genome sequences and comparison of genomic features across species, currently archives fully sequenced mitochondrial genomes of 114 species and 86,078 genes in partially sequenced mitochondrial genomes from 21,605 species. The IMGD provides tools supporting phylogenetic analyses and comparison of individual genome sequences (e.g., GC ratio and order of genes) via the species-driven user interface (SUI). Through SUI users can quickly analyze mitochondrial genomes at any taxon level using eight functions. The IMGD will serve as a versatile informatics platform not only for archiving rapidly increasing insect mitochondrial gene sequences but also for conducting systematic phylogenetic and comparative analyses of insects.

• Wonhoon Lee(Insect Biosystematics Laboratory, Research Institute for Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)
• Seung-Hwan Lee(Insect Biosystematics Laboratory, Research Institute for Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)