The first mitochondrial genome for Sterictiphorinae (Hymenoptera: Argidae) and insights into argid phylogeny

The family Argidae is a significant group of agricultural and forest pests, yet its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) diversity remains only partially understood. To expand current knowledge, we sequenced and characterized, for the first time, the mitogenome of Sterictiphora koreana Lee and Wei 2017 involving in subfamily Sterictiphorinae, an endemic species in Korea. Comparative analyses with four argid species (one Sterictiphorinae and three Arginae) reveal a conserved gene arrangement generally matching the basal hymenopteran form, except for one or four tRNA gene translocations. Whole mitogenomes, protein-coding genes (PCGs), tRNAs, and rRNAs of Arginae, show higher AT content than those of Sterictiphorinae. GC skew values range from - 0.376 to - 0.110 for all four argid species, though a subset of PCGs, tRNAs, and rRNAs in Arge aurora exhibit positive. Phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide sequences of the 13 PCGs strongly support the monophyly of Argidae within superfamily Tenthredinoidea. Divergence time estimation suggests Argidae originated around 166.38 Ma in the Middle Jurassic, with subsequent diversification occurring from the Early Cretaceous to Eocene. These findings enhance our understanding of mitogenome evolution in Argidae and provide a foundation for broader investigations in symphytan phylogenetics and taxonomy.