The mitochondrial genome of a social wasp, Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

For an ongoing systematic study of Korean Vespidae, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome of a social wasp, Vespula rufa (Linnaeus 1758), from the South Korea. The mitogenome is 17,521 bp in length, comprising 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The nucleotide composition is 40.5% adenines, 43.0% thymines, 6.0% guanines, and 10.5% cytosines. The GC content is 16.5%. A maximum-likelihood analysis was conducted to understand phylogenetic relationships, based on 13 complete mitogenome sequences of Vespinae species. We recognized that V. rufa is being placed basal within the genus Vespula. The complete mitochondrial genome of V. rufa provides useful genetic information for further studies.