3.6 Evolutionary Relationships Based on Phylogenet...
To confirm the evolutionary position of the host insect of O.sinensis，we built a phylogenetic tree of 17 species(16 ingroup and 1 outgroup)using published mt genomes based on the concatenated nucleotides alignment of 13 PCGs by the ML method(Fig.6).This topology is largely consistent with previously reported phylogenetic studies(Chen et al.，2015；Shi et al.，2015a).These 16 mt genomes represented five superfamilies(Gelechioidea，Tortricoidea，Bombycoidea，Yponomeutoidea and Hepialoidea)in two suborders(Exoporia and Heteroneura).Ahamus，Thitarodes，Hepialus，Endoclita and Napialus were clustered in Hepialoidea，while E.signifer and N.hunanensis formed a separate monophyletic clade.The O.sinensis host grouped with T.gonggaensis and T.renzhiensis，so that it could beinferred that the host insect of O.sinensis belongs to the Thitarodes.
Fig.6 Phylogenetic tree of 16 lepidopteran species and one outgroup(https://www.daowen.com)
The phylogenetic tree was inferred based on the nucleotide dataset of 13 PCGs using ML analysis(GTR+G model).Numbers above branches specify bootstrap percentages(500 replicates).
Notably，in this phylogenetic tree and the previous study，it could be observed that H.xiaojinensis was sister to the Thitarodes.This could be traced back to the nomenclature of ghostmoth.Although foreign scholars changed most Hepialus species described by Chinese scientists to the Thitarodes in 1968，Thitarodes was still referred to as Hepialus until 2010 in China(Zou et al.，2010).In the NCBI databases，the taxonomy of H.gonggaensis has been revised as T.gonggaensis，while there is no change to H.xiaojinensis.From this phylogenetic tree，it could be inferred that H.xiaojinensis should also be classified as a species of Thitarodes.