Mitogenomic Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal New Insights into the Taxonomy and Evolution of Parnassiinae Swallowtail Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Mitochondrial genomes provide powerful insights into insect phylogeny and molecular evolution, aiding in the clarification of complex taxonomic relationships. Within the swallowtail butterfly subfamily Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), an insect group of significant environmental and economic importance, essential aspects of phylogenetic positioning remain unresolved. This study presents the first sequencing and annotation of the complete mitogenome for Parnassius stubbendorfii from two geographically distinct populations in Gansu Province, China. Both mitogenomes are circular, double-stranded molecules, measuring 15,377 bp and 15,348 bp in length, each encoding 37 standard mitochondrial genes: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and an A + T-rich control region. The gene arrangement is highly conserved and typical of Lepidoptera. Phylogenetic analyses based on both the 13 PCGs and the complete set of 37 mitochondrial genes supported the placement of Parnassiinae as a subfamily within Papilionidae, with Parnassini and Zerynthini identified as two distinct clades within Parnassiinae. Notably, tree topologies derived from the 13 PCGs alone exhibited slight deviations from those based on the full mitogenome, underscoring the need for expanded mitogenomic data across Papilionidae to further refine evolutionary relationships.