The northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (Charadriiformes: Charadriidae), is commonly found in temperate Eurasia. In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of V. vanellus has been determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using 13 primer pairs. It was a circular molecule with 16,795 bp in length which contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs and a control region. The composition and gene order are similar to most other vertebrates. There are 28 genes encoded on the H-strand, 9 genes (ND6 subunit and 8 tRNA genes) encoded on the L-strand. The overall base composition of the H-strand is A (31.44%), T (24.03%), G (13.76%), C (30.77%), with a slight A + T bias of 55.47%. This mitogenome sequence of V. vanellus could contribute to a better solution of its phylogenetic position and will contribute to further genetic researches on Charadriidae.
Keywords: Charadriidae; Vanellus vanellus; mitogenome.