The mitochondrial genome of the scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum Linnaeus) from southwestern China

Dicaeum (family Dicaeidae) is a genus of passerines distributed in tropical southern Asia and Australasia. The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum Linnaeus) is a member of this genus found in China, India, and many Southeast Asian countries. To contribute to phylogenetic studies of Dicaeum, the complete mitochondrial genome of D. cruentatum was sequenced using a next-generation sequencing platform. The mitogenome of D. cruentatum (GenBank accession number MW629122) was 16,812 bp in length with an overall base composition of 30.97% A, 23.67% T, 30.28% C, and 14.07% G. The whole genome contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Almost all PCGs had an ATN start codon except COX1 which started with GTG. Most of the PCGs terminated with a complete stop codon, but ND2, COX3, and ND4 had incomplete stop codons. The 16S rRNA was 1599 bp in length, while 12S rRNA was 986 bp. The Dicaeum species showed monophyletic clustering in the ML phylogeny and shows D. cruentatum as a sister taxa of D. eximium and D. concolor. This new mitogenome will provide genomic resources for future phylogenetic studies in passerines.