Characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitogenome of the edible wasp Vespula orbata from Gaoligong Mountain in China

Abstract Vespula orbata is consumed as one of the edible wasps in southeast China. To better understand its biology and phylogenetic relationship with related taxa, we sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome of Vl. orbata . The mitogenome of this wasp is 16 482 bp in size and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and one control region. Among the 37 genes, 23 are encoded by the J-strand, and 14 are encoded by the N-strand. All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, and one out of the thirteen PCGs contains the incomplete termination codon ‘T’. The gene order of Vl. orbata mitogenome was found to be consistent with both other Vespula species and Vespa species. A phylogenetic tree was then constructed based on mitogenomes from 14 Vespidae species with 3 Trichogrammatidae species as outgroups, using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood. The phylogeny analysis infers the taxonomic status of Vl. orbata within the Vespidae family and supports that it has the closest kinship with Vl. structor , which is another popular edible wasp in southwest China. As a newly recorded species in the Gaoligong Mountain, an important biodiversity hotspot and conservation area, determining the classification and mitogenome characteristics of Vl. structor could facilitate the further utilization of this edible insect, and aid in biodiversity and ecology research in the Gaoligong Mountain.