Mitochondrial DNA restriction and genomic maps of seven species of Melipona (Apidae: Meliponini)

This paper reports efforts to characterize the mitochondrial genome of Meliponini. Here we describe the restriction and partial genomic map of seven Melipona species (M. bicolor, M. compressipes, M. marginata, M. melanoventer, M. quadrifasciata, M. rufiventris and M. subnitida). The maps were obtained through RFLP and PCR-RFLP using 15 restriction enzymes. The total number of sites mapped ranged from 12 to 19, indicating a high level of genetic diversity among those species. MtDNA total size was estimated to be 18 500 bp.