Data from: Diversity and evolution of the transposable element repertoire in arthropods with particular reference to insects

Background: Transposable elements (TEs) are a major component of metazoan
genomes and are associated with a variety of mechanisms that shape genome
architecture and evolution. Despite the ever-growing number of insect
genomes sequenced to date, our understanding of the diversity and
evolution of insect TEs remains poor. Results: Here, we present a
standardized characterization and an order-level comparison of arthropod
TE repertoires, encompassing 62 insect and 11 outgroup species. The insect
TE repertoire contains TEs of almost every class previously described, and
in some cases even TEs previously reported only from vertebrates and
plants. Additionally, we identified a large fraction of unclassifiable
TEs. We found high variation in TE content, ranging from less than 6 % in
the antarctic midge (Diptera), the honey bee and the turnip sawfly
(Hymenoptera) to more than 58 % in the malaria mosquito (Diptera) and the
migratory locust (Orthoptera), and a possible relationship between the
content and diversity of TEs and the genome size. Conclusion: While most
insect orders exhibit a characteristic TE composition, we also observed
intraordinal differences, e.g., in Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera.
Our findings shed light on common patterns and reveal lineage-specific
differences in content and evolution of TEs in insects. We anticipate our
study to provide the basis for future comparative research on the insect
TE repertoire.