The complete mitochondrial genome of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flaviceps (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

We report the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flaviceps. The mtDNA is 16,485 bp long in size. The 13 protein-coding genes have typical ATN initiation codon. But the stop codons were TAA, TAG and an incomplete termination codon (T) abutting an adjacent tRNA gene. Twenty-two tRNA genes, in addition to tRNA(ser) (AGN) replaced lacking of the DHU stem with a simple loop, showed the typical clover-leaf secondary structure. The A + T-rich region was 1677 bp in length with 70.3 % A + T content. Addition to the A + T-rich region, non-coding sequences of the mtDNA genome harbored 18 intergenic spacers. There were two complete repeats and one partial repeats of repeat A and repeat B in CR. Phylogenetic tree based on the 12 complete mitochondrial genome sequences of closely related termite species accords well with the morphological phylogenetic analysis.