Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aspidophorodon Verma, 1967 (Macrosiphini: Aphidinae), is a genus within Aphididae (aphids) with ecological importance and a unique distribution, but there is a lack of mitogenomic data on the evolutionary relationships within this genus, hindering a comprehensive understanding of its evolutionary history. METHODS: In this study, we present the complete mitochondrial genome sequence and features of Aspidophorodon indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan, 1972) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and further infer its phylogenetic position based on the complete mitochondrial genome sequence. RESULTS: The complete mitochondrial genome of A. indicum is 17,161 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, a control region, and a repeat region between trnE and trnF. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genomes of Aphidinae indicated that the two constituent tribes, Macrosiphini and Aphidini, are monophyletic. Aspidophorodon was robustly clustered with the members of Pterocomma and Cavariella. Together, these three genera form the most basal clade within Macrosiphini. CONCLUSIONS: The complete mitogenome of A. indicum contains multiple conserved features relative to other aphids, including gene order, nucleotide composition, codon bias, and repeat region. The phylogenetic relationships within Macrosiphini reported here are consistent with previous studies. Our results provide new insights into the phylogenetic position of the genus Aspidophorodon.