Complete mitochondrial genome of the firefly <i>Luciola parvula</i> Kiesenwetter (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) from Japan and its phylogenetic analyses

We have sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the firefly <i>Luciola parvula</i> Kiesenwetter, 1874 (Coleoptera, Lampyridae, Luciolinae) from Niigata Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, and inferred the Luciolinae phylogeny. The circular genome of 16,685 bp (GenBank accession number, LC677171) has a base composition of A (43.52%), C (13.21%), G (8.52%) and T (34.74%). Our sequence is similar to other Metazoa, which contains 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and D-loop. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial whole genome sequences revealed <i>L. parvula</i> as a sister group of (<i>L. unmunsana</i> [MT134039] <i>+ L. parvula</i> [OL944082]). Identity of the two <i>L. parvula</i> sequences (LC677171 and OL944082) is only 90.5% (14,064/15,537 bp), suggesting the two <i>L. parvula</i> might be different species. Further taxonomical examination including morphological analyses should be required to test if the two populations are different species.