In mammals, the Hypoderma flies and their larvae are obligate parasites causing cutaneous myiasis.  Hypoderma (H.) sinense of this genus mainly parasitizes yaks and cattle. With an eye towards unique morphological traits for correct identification and differentiation within the family Oestridae, this work investigated third-stage larvae of H. sinense under a stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy.  The key elements analyzed were segmentation, the cephalic segment structure, spiracular plates, the ventral side, and spines. Moreover, the mitochondrial (mt) genome of H. sinense was recovered from enriched mt samples with conventional molecular methods. The complete sequence of 16,296 bp was obtained using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Around 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a non-coding section were identified using bioinformatic methods for genome annotations. Using the 13 PCGs, the phylogenetic study evaluated the Oestridae family evolutionary relationships between H. sinense and related species.  With 40.50% A, 36.75% T, 14.41% C, and 8.34% G, the H. sinense mt genome had an A+T content of 77.25%, far higher than the G+C content.  Phylogenetic studies based on the 13 PCGs showed that H. sinense developed a monophyletic clade including H. lineatum, H. bovis, and H. pantholopsum. This work reveals the first complete mt genome of H. sinense, therefore offering vital molecular data that improves our knowledge of the Oestridae family phylogenetic ties.

To Cite This Article: Shi B, Zhao XL, Tang WQ, Gan FB, Li YB, Huang FQ, Danqulamu, Qi M, Zhang MZ, Li XY, Dong HL, Ali M, El-Mansi AA, Gadallah AA, Li K and Wu QX, 2025. Morphological and Mitochondrial Genome Characterization of Hypoderma Sinense: Insights into Evolutionary Relationships Within Oestridae. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.150