摘要：Spiders of the genera
Nephila and
Trichonephila are large orb-weaving spiders. In view of the lack of study on the mitogenome of these genera, and the conflicting systematic status, we sequenced (by next generation sequencing) and annotated the complete mitogenomes of
N. pilipes,
T. antipodiana and
T. vitiana (previously
N. vitiana) to determine their features and phylogenetic relationship. Most of the tRNAs have aberrant clover-leaf secondary structure. Based on 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and 15 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs and two rRNA genes),
Nephila and
Trichonephila form a clade distinctly separated from the other araneid subfamilies/genera.
T. antipodiana forms a lineage with
T. vitiana in the subclade containing also
T. clavata, while
N. pilipes forms a sister clade to
Trichonephila. The taxon
vitiana is therefore a member of the genus
Trichonephila and not
Nephila as currently recognized. Studies on the mitogenomes of other
Nephila and
Trichonephila species and related taxa are needed to provide a potentially more robust phylogeny and systematics.
