Complete mitochondrial genome of the Oriental Hornet, Vespa orientalis F. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).

The Oriental Hornet ( Vespa orientalis ) is a social insect belonging to the Vespiade family (Wasps, Hornets, Yellowjackets), genus Vespa (true Hornets). The oriental hornet is a scavenger and an agricultural pest, especially to bee farmers, but is also recently described as a harvester of solar energy. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome sequence of the Oriental Hornet, Vespa orientalis F ., which may play a vital role in understanding this wasp biology, light trapping and generation of electricity. The mitochondrial genome of this hornet is 16,099 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 21 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The overall base composition of the heavy-strand is 40.3% A, 5.9% C, 13.2% G, and 40.6% T, the percentages of A and T being higher than that of G and C. The mitochondrial genome of the Oriental Hornet, Vespa orientalis F . represents the first mitogenome of a solar energy harvesting insect.
Competing Interests: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
(© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)