Research Article Preliminary Characterization of Mitochondrial Genome of Melipona scutellaris, a Brazilian Stingless Bee

Copyright © 2014 Manuella Souza Silverio et al.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the originalwork is properly cited. Bees aremanufacturers of relevant economical products and have a pollinator role fundamental to ecosystems. Traditionally, studies focused on the genusMelipona have beenmostly based on behavioral, and social organization and ecological aspects. Only recently the evolutionary history of this genus has been assessed usingmolecularmarkers, includingmitochondrial genes. Even though these studies have shed light on the evolutionary history of the Melipona genus, a more accurate picture may emerge when full nuclear and mitochondrial genomes ofMelipona species become available. Here we present the assembly, annotation, and characterization of a draft mitochondrial genome of the Brazilian stingless beeMelipona scutellaris usingMelipona bicolor as a reference organism. Using Illumina MiSeq data, we achieved the annotation of all protein coding genes, as well as the genes for the two ribosomal subunits (16S and 12S) and transfer RNA genes as well. Using the COI sequence as a DNA barcode, we found thatM. cramptoni is the closest species toM. scutellaris. 1