Data from: Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality

Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the
cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees
and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German
cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood
termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite
eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites
and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and
non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the
production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical
communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in
gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many
of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in
Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different,
thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major
evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.