Genome and transcriptome analysis of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua reveals targets for pest control

The genus Spodoptera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) includes some of the most infamous insect pests of cultivated plants including Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera exigua. To effectively develop targeted pest control strategies for diverse Spodoptera species, genomic resources are highly desired. To this aim, we provide the genome assembly and developmental transcriptome comprising all major life stages of S. exigua, the beet armyworm. Spodoptera exigua is a polyphagous herbivore that can feed from > 130 host plants including several economically important crops.

The 419 Mb beet armyworm genome was sequenced from a female S. exigua pupa. Using a hybrid genome sequencing approach (Nanopore long read data and Illumina short read), a high-quality genome assembly was achieved (N50=1.1 Mb). An official gene set (OGS, 18,477 transcripts) was generated by automatic annotation and by using transcriptomic RNA-seq data sets of 18 S. exigua samples as supporting evidence. In...