Mitochondrial DNA Part B

Mitochondrial Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genomics of Lepidoptera in the Indo-Malayan Realm

The Indo-Malayan realm is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth and a major centre of lepidopteran diversification, harbouring a vast array of endemic moths and butterflies across tropical and subtropical Asia. Despite this exceptional diversity, mitochondrial genomic resources for Lepidoptera from this region remain markedly uneven, with many families, genera, and endemic lineages either unrepresented or represented by only a handful of sequences. This gap limits our ability to resolve phylogenetic relationships, delimit species, and understand the biogeographic and evolutionary processes shaping Indo-Malayan lepidopteran assemblages.

Complete mitochondrial genomes provide valuable molecular resources for investigating genome organization, gene evolution, phylogenetic relationships, and diversification. Advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have facilitated the characterization of mitochondrial genomes, enabling detailed investigations of gene arrangement, nucleotide composition, codon usage, and evolutionary patterns. However, the application of these approaches to Indo-Malayan Lepidoptera is still in its infancy relative to better-studied Palearctic and Nearctic faunas.

This Article Collection aims to bring together research on the sequencing, characterization, and comparative analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes of Lepidoptera from the Indo-Malayan realm. Topics of interest include complete mitogenome sequencing and assembly, genome organization, gene rearrangements, nucleotide composition, codon usage, protein-coding genes, transfer and ribosomal RNA genes, mitochondrial genome annotation, and comparative mitogenomics. Studies examining molecular evolutionary patterns, phylogeography, species delimitation, cryptic diversity, and phylogenetic relationships using complete mitochondrial genome datasets are also encouraged.

The collection welcomes contributions covering diverse lepidopteran families and superfamilies occurring in the region, including Noctuoidea, Papilionoidea, Bombycoidea, Gelechioidea, Pyraloidea, Geometroidea, and other lineages. Research providing complete mitochondrial genome resources for poorly represented or endemic Indo-Malayan taxa, identifying structural variation, and improving understanding of regional genome evolution, biogeography, and phylogenetic relationships will be particularly relevant. Methodological advances in mitochondrial genome assembly, annotation, and comparative analysis are also welcome when supported by complete mitochondrial genome data.

The overarching objective is to expand the representation of Indo-Malayan Lepidoptera in mitochondrial genomic research and advance understanding of their genome diversity, evolutionary history, biogeography, and systematic relationships. We invite researchers to submit original studies reporting complete mitochondrial genome sequences and associated genomic, phylogeographic, or phylogenetic analyses that contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the moths and butterflies of this megadiverse region.

Keywords:

• Mitochondrial genomics
• Lepidoptera
• Comparative mitogenomics
• Indo-Malayan realm
• Molecular phylogenetics

Guest Advisor:

Dr. Muzafar Riyaz is an entomologist specializing in mitochondrial genomics, molecular phylogenetics, and evolutionary biology of insects. His research focuses on comparative mitogenomics, molecular systematics, and insect biodiversity, particularly Lepidoptera and pollinator conservation. He has contributed 38 mitochondrial genome sequences of Noctuoidea to GenBank. For further details about Dr. Riyaz's professional profile, kindly refer to the link: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9372-681X

Disclosure Statement: Guest advisor declares no conflict of interest regarding this work.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

To submit your papers to this Article Collection, please:

1. Check "yes" for the question, "Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?"
2. Select the Article Collection ‘Mitochondrial Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genomics of Lepidoptera in the Indo-Malayan Realm’ from the drop-down menu under the question, "Special Issue or Article Collection Name."

Please contact Changluan Zhou at changluan.zhou@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.