Generation of Ptomaphagus hirtus draft genome

Cave adaptation leads to a suite of trait changes commonly referred to as troglomorphism, which is correlated with gene loss and gene gain events at the genome level. Ptomaphagus hirtus is a cave-adapted fungus beetle species, which inhabits Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. We initiated sequencing the genome of this species to probe for genomic signatures of eye- and hindwing reduction in this species.