An annotated chromosome-level genome assembly ofthe Adzuki bean borer Ostrinia scapulalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

The genus Ostrinia (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) comprises two of the most important maize pests worldwide, the Asian and the European corn borers. Here, we present an annotated, chromosome-level genome assembly for the most closely related species, the Adzuki bean borer Ostrinia scapulalis, which feeds on various dicotyledon plants. The previous reference genome assembly for this species was generated from short-read sequencing data, resulting in high fragmentation and low completeness. Combining PacBio long read and Hi-C sequencing, we generated a 476 Mb genome with 48 contigs organised into 31 chromosomes (30 autosomes and one Z sex chromosome), with a contig N50 of 16.1 Mbp and BUSCO completeness exceeding 98%. We further combined published and novel RNA-seq data encompassing multiple life stages, tissues, and sexes to annotate 14,261 gene models, reaching a proteome BUSCO completeness of 95%. This highly contiguous reference genome assembly provides a much-improved resource for carrying comparative genomic approaches and better understanding speciation and host plant adaptation in the Ostrinia genus.