LadybirdBase: a comprehensive biology, ecology and omics resource for ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae)

Abstract

Ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) represent a highly diverse insect group comprising over 6000 species. Recently, an increasing amount of omics data on ladybirds has accumulated. To better understand their roles and adaptations in biological control, we developed LadybirdBase (http://www.ladybirdbase.com/), a comprehensive database that compiles both published and self-collected data on ladybird beetles. It contains five main modules that encompass: (1) the Biology Module summarizing information on over 6000 species, including their classification, morphology, diet, distribution, and omics data; (2) the Ecology Module offering diet and distribution records; (3) the Genomics Module integrating published and unpublished resources such as genomes, transcriptomes, mitogenomes, orthogroups, and variance; (4) the Microbiomics Module presenting 16S rRNA, ITS, and metagenome data; and (5) the Lab Test Module covering diet ranges, life histories under different treatments, and stress tolerance. Additionally, LadybirdBase offers analysis tools for species detection using morphology or barcodes, BLAST searches against the genome resources, differential gene expression analysis, and PCR primer search. LadybirdBase can greatly simplify species identification, enhance the efficiency of omics studies, and provide a theoretical foundation for the use of ladybirds in biological control.