Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Neoasterolepisma foreli (Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) and the phylogeny of basal Ectognatha

Abstract

The silverfish Neoasterolepisma foreli belongs to the family Lepismatidae within Zygentoma and is well known for the peculiar habit of living in strict association with ant nests (myrmecophily). In this study, we describe its mitochondrial genome, a circular molecule of 15,398 bp including the canonical 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, as well as a 403 bp AT-rich region. A phylomitogenomic analysis of the new sequence, alongside basal hexapod mtDNAs, confirmed the monophyly of all orders, with some uncertainty over the position of the enigmatic Tricholepidion gertschi that would make Zygentoma paraphyletic. Neoasterolepisma foreli is recovered in a basal position within family Lepismatidae, at odd with our current understanding of the group that would, in turn, suggest a closer relationship with the genus Lepisma (Mendes, 1991).

Keywords:

• Silverfish
• Zygentoma
• mitogenomics
• myrmecophily
• Lepismatidae

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Dept. of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy for providing computational resources and Dr Andrea Bernini for continuous support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Mitogenome data supporting this study are openly available in GenBank at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT982147. Associated BioProject, SRA, and BioSample accession numbers are https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA673074 https://trace.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Traces/sra/?study=SRP289641 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/biosample/SAMN16587686.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by the University of Cordoba under grant ‘XXIII Own Research Promotion Program (2019): Modality 4.1. Grants for the development of precompetitive R&D projects’.