The complete mitochondrial genome of the firefly <i>Aquatica hydrophila</i> (Jeng, Lai &amp; Yang, 2003) (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) and its phylogenetic analysis

The complete mitochondrial genome of <i>Aquatica hydrophila</i> spans 16,394 bp and includes the standard set of 37 genes, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes, along with a control region. All PCGs initiate with the typical ATN start codon except <i>nd1</i>; most terminate with TAA/TAG, while <i>cox2</i>, <i>cox3</i>, <i>nd4</i>, and <i>nd5</i> use a single-T incomplete stop. The rRNA genes measure 1337 bp (<i>rrn16</i>) and 837 bp (<i>rrn12</i>). The control region is 2,219 bp, located between <i>rrn12</i> and <i>trnI</i>. Maximum-likelihood analysis of 13 concatenated PCGs positions <i>A. hydrophila</i> within a monophyletic <i>Aquatica</i>, as a sister taxon to (<i>A. wuhana</i> + (<i>A. leii</i> + <i>A. ficta</i>)); <i>Aquatica</i> is recovered as sister to <i>Abscondita</i> with strong support. Together, these data provide a genomic reference for <i>A. hydrophila</i> that will facilitate future studies on lucioline phylogeny, species delimitation, and the conservation of aquatic firefly populations. Because <i>Aquatica</i> species are specialists of clean, flowing freshwater habitats, the new mitogenome of <i>A. hydrophila</i> will also facilitate assessments of population connectivity and support conservation planning for aquatic fireflies in East Asia.