Identification of neuropeptides and their G-protein coupled receptors in the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis

Hylobius abietis (Linnaeus) or large pine weevil (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is a significant pest of European coniferous forests. In order to gain understanding of the functional physiology of this species, we have assembled a transcriptome of H. abietis, from sequence data obtained by Next Generation Sequencing. In particular, we have identified genes encoding neuropeptides, peptide hormones and their putative G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to gain insights into neuropeptide-modulated processes.