Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Apis laboriosa (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Apis laboriosa Smith is the largest bee in the genus Apis, and it is mainly distributed in Yunnan and Tibet regions in China. In this study, two complete mitogenomes of A. laboriosa from Luding and Dehong were obtained through Illumina sequencing, and the phylogenetic relationship among different geographical populations of A. laboriosa was determined. The entire mitogenomes of A. laboriosa are 15 546 (Luding) and 15 239 (Dehong) bp in length, respectively. The A. laboriosa mitogenome contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region rich in A + T. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree using 13 PCGs reveals that A. laboriosa from Dehong and Shangri-La clustered together and form a sister taxon to Luding. This study provides data for an in-depth exploration of the genetic diversity of A. laboriosa and layes a scientific foundation for the conservation of this species.