Aspidiotus destructor Transcriptome or Gene expression

An invasive coconut scale insect identified as Aspidiotus rigidus (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) by DNA barcoding caused outbreaks in coconut farms in the Philippines in 201. However, prior the onset of the outbreak caused by A. rigidus, endemic coconut scale species have long been in the Philippines, Aspidiotus destructor. The endemic scale insect species had a presence in coconut farms but was thought to be not enough to cause large-scale outbreaks similar to the invasive species. Genomic resources acquired through next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be useful in understanding invasiveness. The study provides transcriptome resources generated through RNA-sequencing of A. destructor using Illumina HiSeq 4000. The datasets can be used for future efforts in understanding its biology, gene discovery, functional and population genomics, other analyses linked to addressing pest outbreaks. The generated transcriptomes can also be used to compare this endemic species with the invasive, A. rigidus.