Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Dolichovespula kuami (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

This study is part of an ongoing systematic research on the Korean Vespidae fauna. The complete mitochondrial genome of the social wasp D. kuami collected in South Korea was sequenced and annotated. The circular genome was 15,671 bp long and comprised 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. kuami formed a monophyletic clade with other Dolichovespula species, indicating its distinctiveness despite being the sister group to D. flora. These findings confirm the taxonomic status of D. kuami and provide valuable genomic data for future phylogenetic studies of the Vespidae family.