Background: Aedes mosquitoes are important invasive species contributing to the spread of chikungunya, dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, and other dangerous vector-borne diseases. Aedes albopictus is native to southeast Asia, with rapid expansion due to human activity, showing a wide distribution in the Korean peninsula. Aedes flavopictus is considered to be native to East Asia, with a broad distribution in the region, including the Korean peninsula. A better understanding of the genetic diversity of these species is critical for establishing strategies for disease prevention and vector control. Methods: We obtained DNA from 148 specimens of Ae. albopictus and 166 specimens of Ae. flavopictus in Korea, and amplified two mitochondrial genes (COI and ND5) to compare the genetic diversity and structure of the two species. Results: We obtained a 658-bp sequence of COI and a 423-bp sequence of ND5 from both mosquito species. We found low diversity and a nonsignificant population genetic structure in Ae. albopictus, and high diversity and a nonsignificant structure in Ae. flavopictus for these two mitochondrial genes. Aedes albopictus had fewer haplotypes with respect to the number of individuals, and a slight mismatch distribution was confirmed. By contrast, Ae. flavopictus had a large number of haplotypes compared with the number of individuals, and a large unimodal-type mismatch distribution was confirmed. Although the genetic structure of both species was nonsignificant, Ae. flavopictus exhibited higher genetic diversity than Ae. albopictus. Conclusions: Aedes albopictus appears to be an introduced species, whereas Ae. flavopictus is endemic to the Korean peninsula, and the difference in genetic diversity between the two species is related to their adaptability and introduction history. Further studies on the genetic structure and diversity of these mosquitos will provide useful data for vector control.

The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is one of the most common mammals in Korea, however, limited research has focused on the population structure and biogeography of this mouse throughout Korea. In addition, the taxonomic status of the species remains unresolved. The objectives of our study were to address the inadequacies in understanding the population structure, biogeography, and taxonomic status of A. agrarius. We collected 160 samples from 13 localities throughout the South Korean Peninsula, two nearby islands and two remote islands. We used five microsatellite loci and estimated genetic diversity measures and populations divergence estimates (i.e. F _ST and R _ST) to address the objectives. Except for populations on the two remote islands, Jeju and Heuksan, the populations on the peninsula and nearby islands indicated low F _ST and R _ST values. The population structure based on microsatellite loci supported only one subspecies opposing three subspecies reported previously on the Korean Peninsula and nearby islands. However, populations on Jeju Island and Heuksan Island showed subspecific differences from each other and the populations on the Korean Peninsula and nearby islands. The information reported on the population genetics of the striped field mouse in Korea will allow resolving the taxonomy and biogeography of this species.

In this study, we first determined the mitochondrial genome sequence of Aedes koreicus collected in South Korea. Its mitochondrial genome is 15,840 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer-RNA genes, 2 ribosomal-RNA genes, and a non-coding A + T rich region. The overall base composition in the heavy strand was as follows: A, 40.1%; G, 8.7%; C, 13.6%; T, 37.5%; and the G + C content was 22.4%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Aedes spp. form a monophyletic group.

In this paper, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Ocypode stimpsoni. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using the MGISEQ-2000 platform. The length of the complete mitochondrial genome was 15,557 bp, and data were submitted to NCBI (MN917464). The genome consisted of 67.8% A + T bias, it included 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a putative control region. The phylogenetic tree was constructed based on sequences of 13 PCGs identified by the maximum likelihood (ML) method. Collectively, the results support the original taxonomy assigned, O. stimpsoni belongs to Ocypodidae, Ocypodoidea. In addition, species in Ocypodoidea and Grapsoidea have a reciprocal paraphyly relationship, as demonstrated in previous studies.