We determined the complete mitochondrial genome of the yellow-spotted long horned beetle, Psacothea hilaris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that is an endangered insect species in Korea. The genome was sequenced from four overlapping fragments: two short fragments and two long fragments. The 15,857-bp long P. hilaris mitochondrial genome has the gene content typical of animal mitochondrial genome: 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 ribosomal genes, and one non-coding A+T-rich region. The gene arrangement of the molecule is identical to the most common type found among insect mitochondrial gene arrangement that is regarded as ancestral for insects. Like several other coleopteran species the P. hilaris COI gene has typical mitochondrial start codon ATT. The 1,190-bp long A+T-rich region contains 57-bp long seven identical repeat sequences and at least seven stem-and-loop structures, composed of stems with perfect matches and loops with variable size. All P. hilaris tRNAs can be folded into the typical clover-leaf structure, with the exception of tRNASer(AGN), the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of which forms a simple loop. After more genomic and phylogenetic analyses are performed, further detailed information will be available.

We determined the complete mitogenome of the oriental mayfly, Ephemera orientalis (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) and the dragonfly Davidius lunatus (Odonata: Gomphidae). The 16,463-bp long E. orientalis and the 15,912 bp long D. lunatus mitogenome contains gene arrangement and content identical to the most common type found in a diverse insect order. Most individual E. orientalis and D. lunatus mt genes were well within the size found in the respective genes of other insects. The initiation codon for the D. lunatus COI gene was typical as ATA, whereas no typical start codon was found in the start region of E. orientalis COI gene. The A+T-rich regions of both mitogenomes have a few unusual feature. The A+T-rich region of E. orientalis contains a tandem repeat composed of two identical copies of 55 bp long, whereas that of D. lunatus contains a tandem repeat composed of duplicated identical 261-bp copies and one partial copy of the repeat. Also, the A+T-rich region of E. orientalis contains a single sequence and that of D. lunatus contains nine sequences, along with the tandem triplicate sequences, that has the potential to form stem-and-loop structures, flanked by the conserved sequences, “TA(A)TA” at the 5’ end and “G(A)nT’ at the 3’ end. Furthermore, the A+T-rich region of D. lunatus contains two tRNA-like structures, tRNALeu(UUR)-like sequence and tRNATyr-like sequence that have proper anticodon TAA and clover-leaf structure that were previously found in the hymenopteran insects.

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the jewel beetle, Chrysochroa fulgidissima (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from two overlapping fragments and subsequent sub fragments. The 15,592-bp long C. fulgidissima mitogenome contains gene arrangement and content identical to the most common arrangement found in insects. Most individual C. fulgidissima mitochondrial (mt) genes were well within the range found in the respective genes of other insects. The 875-bp A+T-rich region is shortest among the coleopteran mitogenomes sequenced in their entirety. The region is interesting in that it contains several stem-and-loop structures and tRNA-like structure found in the A+T-rich regions of other insect mitogenomes. As seen in other insect motogenomes the start codon of C. fulgidissima COI gene also is unusual because no typical start codon is available. Three of the 13 protein-coding genes have incomplete termination codon T or TA. All tRNA formed stable stem-and-loop structure, except for tRNASer(AGN), the DHU arm of which formed a simple loop as seen in many other metazoan mt tRNASer(AGN).