Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the parasitic honey bee mite (Mesostigmata: Varroidae).

is a parasite mite of the eastern honey bee , which is native to Asia. The European honey bee was imported to Asia from Europe and the USA for apiculture in the 19th century. In a short period of time, parasitized the artificially introduced honey bees. was estimated to have spread around the world with when it was exported from Asia to locations worldwide about 50 years ago. The mitochondrial DNA of the parasitic honey bee mite was analyzed using next-generation sequencing. The complete mitochondrial genome of was identified as a 16,476-bp circular molecule containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one AT-rich control region. The heavy strand was predicted to have nine PCGs and 13 tRNA genes, whereas the light strand was predicted to contain four PCGs, nine tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. All PCGs began with ATA as the start codon, except and , which had ATG as the start codon. Stop codons were of two types: TAA for eight genes and TAG for five genes. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that from Japan was genetically distant from that of France. A high base substitution rate of 2.82% was also confirmed between the complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of from Japan and the USA, suggesting that one mite strain found in the USA is not from Japan.