De novo assembly and comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae)

The pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae , is one of the most deleterious pests of pistachio trees. Deciphering genetic diversity and population structure is a prerequisite for developing efficacious suppression protocols and successful management strategies for any insect pest including A. pistaciae . Mitochondrial genome sequencing furnishes valuable information about insect evolution and diversity within and among populations. Here, we assembled the first complete mitochondrial genome of the pistachio psyllid high-throughput next generation sequencing. The circular mitochondrial genome of A. pistaciae was 15,346 bp in length encoding 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes, with a long non-coding region (putative control regions). The A. pistaciae mitogenome was in same typical set and arrangement as that of the ancestral insect. The mitochondrial genome of A. pistaciae was compared to all 6 publically available mitogenomes of other Psylloidea species. The conservation of the gene arrangements and identical gene ordering among all psyllid species could suggest a structurally common ancestral mitogenome shared across Psylloidea. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 13 PCGs conformed the existing morphological based taxonomy and showed the clustering of the two Aphalaridae. Whole mitochondrial genome of A. pistaciae could be utilized in subsequent population genetic studies of the species and also add to a deeper understanding of the phylogenetic research links within the subfamily Psylloidea.