Genomic analysis reveals the complete mitogenome and evolutionary placement of Aquatica hydrophila, highlighting relationships that support aquatic firefly conservation.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Aquatica hydrophila spans 16,394 bp and includes the standard set of 37 genes, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes, along with a control region. All PCGs initiate with the typical ATN start codon except nd1; most terminate with TAA/TAG, while cox2, cox3, nd4, and nd5 use a single-T incomplete stop. The rRNA genes measure 1337 bp (rrn16) and 837 bp (rrn12). The control region is 2,219 bp, located between rrn12 and trnI. Maximum-likelihood analysis of 13 concatenated PCGs positions A. hydrophila within a monophyletic Aquatica, as a sister taxon to (A. wuhana + (A. leii + A. ficta)); Aquatica is recovered as sister to Abscondita with strong support. Together, these data provide a genomic reference for A. hydrophila that will facilitate future studies on lucioline phylogeny, species delimitation, and the conservation of aquatic firefly populations. Because Aquatica species are specialists of clean, flowing freshwater habitats, the new mitogenome of A. hydrophila will also facilitate assessments of population connectivity and support conservation planning for aquatic fireflies in East Asia.
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