Complete mitogenome of Prionailurus bengalensis alleni and taxonomic revisions of leopard cat subspecies

Abstract The leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ), a small wild feline native to Asia, is known for its considerable genetic diversity across its range; however, studies on the mitochondrial genome of Prionailurus bengalensis alleni , a subspecies endemic to Hainan, are lacking. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Hainan leopard cat. Sequencing revealed a genome length of 16,936 bp, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. Phylogenetic analyses of the 13 protein-coding genes from the mitochondrial genomes of 11 subspecies of leopard cats revealed two well-supported clades (Clade A and Clade B). Within Clade A, P. b. alleni clustered with P. b. chinensis instead of P. b. bengalensis . Genetic distance and divergence time analyses supported the synonymization of P. b. alleni , P. b. chinensis , and P. b. horsfieldi with P. b. bengalensis . P. b. iriomotensis could be considered a synonym for P. b. euptilurus . Clade B corresponds to the recently the recognized species Prionailurus javanensis . Overall, our findings provide strong support for two P. bengalensis subspecies ( P. b. bengalensis and P. b. euptilurus ) and two P. javanensis subspecies ( P. j. javanensis and P. j. sumatranus ), and confirm the interest of using mitochondrial genome for gaining insights into phylogenetic relationships and subspecies taxonomy.