Transcriptome sequencing of the flight muscles of Ceracris kiangsu

Ceracris kiangsu is one of the most destructive forestry insect pests threatening bamboo forests. This species relies on flight to locate suitable oviposition sites and possesses long-distance migration capability; however, the types and mechanisms of energy utilization during flight remain uninvestigated. In this study, we determined the dynamic changes in energy substrate contents in flight muscles after different durations of flight, and analyzed the expression profiles of genes related to energy metabolism in flight muscles using transcriptome sequencing.Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that short-duration flight (5 or 15 min) promoted the expression of genes related to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, whereas long-duration flight (30 and 60 min) significantly upregulated lipid metabolism-related genes. Differences in the expression of metabolic genes may regulate the catabolism of different energy substrates, thereby providing the required energy for flights of varying durations.Data were generated and submitted by Yu Meng, Master's student, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China. Corresponding author: Prof. Yang Zeng, [e-mail].