The complete mitochondrial genome of Hymenopus coronatus (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae) from Xishuangbanna, China

Abstract

The orchid mantis Hymenopus coronatus (Insecta: Mantodea) is famous for its unique appearance, which resembles a flower blossom with petal-like legs and a whitish pink colour. Based on this appearance, H. coronatus has been hypothesized to be an aggressive mimic that attracts pollinators. Research on the orchid mantis has been sparse due to the difficulty of collection and maintenance. The first record of orchid mantis from Xishuangbanna, China, was originally named H. coronatoides but later considered synonymous with H. coronatus based on a morphological study. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the orchid mantis from Xishuangbanna, China, was determined to be a circular molecule of 15,589 bp containing 37 typical mitochondrial genes in the same gene arrangement as those of other praying mantises. The relatively low degree of genetic difference between orchid mantises from China and Malaysia suggests that they belong to the same species. The phylogenetic relationships inferred from 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) show that H. coronatus is a sister to Parymenopus davisoni, another rare species from Malaysia, and supports monophyletic Hymenopodinae, whereas Acromantinae is polyphyletic. This study provides useful data for studies on the population genetics, phylogeny and mimicry mechanism of the orchid mantis.