Replicated differential expression analysis in a green-brown polymorphic grasshopper reveals role of beta-carotene-binding protein in body coloration

This dataset accompanies a study on the genetic basis of green–brown color polymorphism in the club-legged grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus). It includes RNA-seq data from fourth-instar nymphs (N4) of green and brown morphs, along with associated metadata (e.g., morph, sex) and analysis scripts. Transcriptomes were sequenced to investigate differential gene expression linked to coloration, and a reference-guided transcriptome assembly was generated. Six genes consistently upregulated in green individuals across two datasets were identified as beta-carotene-binding proteins (βCBPs), suggesting a role in carotenoid-mediated pigmentation. This dataset enables further functional and evolutionary analyses of βCBP genes in Orthoptera and may be reused in studies of gene expression, pigmentation, and evolutionary developmental biology.