Rice leaffolders Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Marasmia patnalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are important rice pests and morphologically related with same damage methods. The control region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in two rice leaffolders C. medinalis and M. patnalis were sequenced and analyzed. The control regions of the two rice leaffolders are located between 12S ribosomal RNA and tRNAMet, and exhibit conserved structural elements. We identified the poly T stretches, (TA)n block, and stem-loop structure. There are no long tandem repeats found in mtDNA control region in the two rice leaffolders studied. Nevertheless, we did not find the GA-rich block in mtDNA control regions of the two rice leaffolders. The molecular-based phylogenies support the traditional morphologically based view of relationships of Pyralidae within the Ditrysia. The addition of the C. medinalis and M. patnalis mtDNA control regions to the literature promotes the understanding of the molecular evolution of Pyralidae in Ditrysia.
Keywords: Cnaphalacrocis medinalis; Marasmia patnalis; lepidoptera; mtDNA control region.