Genome sequencing of Pachypeltis micranthus Mu et Liu (Hemiptera: Miridae), a potential biological control agent for Mikania micrantha

The plant bug, Pachypeltis micranthus Mu et Liu (Hemiptera: Miridae), is a
potential biological control agent for Mikania micrantha H.B.K.
(Asteraceae; one of the most invasive weeds worldwide). To date, only a
few studies have investigated plant bugs. Here, we performed a
chromosome-level genome assembly of P. micranthus using MGISEQ-2000
short-read, Nanopore, PacBio long-read, and high-throughput chromosome
conformation capture (Hi-C) techniques. The assembled genome was 712.72 Mb
in size, with a contig N50 of 16.84 Mb. Using the Hi-C technique, 71
scaffolds were assembled into 15 chromosomes, accounting for 99.96%. We
predicted 11,746 protein-coding genes in P. micranthus with 96.20%
complete benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs. Phylogenomic
analysis showed that P. micranthus and two other Miridae bugs (Apolygus
lucorum and Nesidiocoris tenuis) diverged from the common ancestor
approximately 200.01 million years ago. Chromosome synteny analysis
between P. micranthus and A. lucorum indicated high-level synteny. Many
gene families including chemosensory genes and digestive and
detoxification enzyme genes—were significantly expanded in the P.
micranthus genome. These expanded gene families may indicate the bug to
adapt to the single host plant. This high-quality chromosome-level genome
assembly provides an invaluable resource for further molecular and
evolutionary research on mirid bugs and also provides a basis for further
research on biological control mechanisms for M. micrantha.