The genome annotation of the leaf roller, Eumorphobotys obscuralis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The leaf roller, Eumorphobotys obscuralis, is a destructive pest causing severe defoliation that reduces plant vigor, leads to culm death, and results in significant economic and ecological losses. Despite its devastating impact, effective prevention and control measures remain elusive, exacerbating the damage caused by this pest. To address the critical lack of genomic resources, we generated a high-quality genome assembly for E. obscuralis using Illumina short reads, PacBio HiFi reads, and Hi-C data. The assembled genome spans 701.9 Mb across 31 chromosomes, including the one sexual chromosome Z. Key metrics include contig and scaffold N50 values of 1.73 Mb and 23.70 Mb, respectively, with an estimated genome completeness of 96.7%. Annotation efforts identified 15,855 protein-coding genes and revealed that 58.9% of the genome comprises repetitive sequences. This genomic resource provides a foundation for understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying the pest’s biology and behaviour, while also offering a valuable reference for developing targeted control strategies.