Culex pipiens pipiens assembly and annotation. Culex pipiens pipiens

Within the Culex pipiens complex, the primary vectors of West Nile and Usutu viruses, species are not morphologically distinguishable and harbor divergent physiological (autogeny and diapause) and behavioral (stenogamy and host preference) traits that shape their vectorial capacity for arbovirus transmission. To decipher the evolutionary origin of the mammal/human biting Cx. pipiens molestus and the bird biting Cx. pipiens pipiens, we aim to provide a high-quality Cx. p. pipiens reference genome for accurate genomic analyses that is crucial for a better understanding of differential ecological traits affecting vectorial capacity.