Mitochondrial genome assembly

The encyrtid wasp Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) predates on a broad range of tick species, including the important disease vectors of the Ixodus ricinus complex. This wasp is a promising candidate for the biological control of tick populations. To support future studies on the biological interaction between ticks and tick wasps, the complete genome sequence of I. hookeri was determined using nanopore long-read technology. This work presents the complete mitochondrial genome of a singular I. hookeri. In-depth annotation of multiple nanopore long reads revealed that the mtDNA genome is a mixture of structural variants. It consists of an invariable ~15.2-kb core flanked by variable regions. Together, this variable region contains tens of copies of a 92-bp repeat unit, two copies of a ~340-bp repeat unit and up to more than 1,500 copies of a TA-dinucleotide. Parts of the mtDNA core sequence and of the repeat region have integrated a few hundred times into the nuclear genome of I. hookeri.