The genome sequencing and assembly of the bean weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus. Zabrotes subfasciatus

The life cycle of most insects is closely associated with the existence of plants. In phytophagous insects, such as the Bruchinae Coleoptera, host choice for oviposition, feeding, and development is key to succeed in developing life-history traits and is underpinned by complex phenotypic combinations. Studies suggest that the phenotypic changes associated with host choice are made possible by variations in the expression levels of genes that code for components of the chemosensory and detoxification systems. However, the scarce literature does not allow for the identification of evolutionary patterns, such as the possible occurrence of orthology, convergence or parallel evolution. Even less is known about the possible adaptive roles of specific genes, which could be tested through functional assays, and about the potential participation of epigenetic events in the choice of a particular host. Bruchinae weevils are responsible for about a 20% loss of pulses value, which, like beans, represent the protein source for 75% of the population in developing countries. However, the molecular aspects governing the reproductive capacity of these insects remain unknown, even though it is this characteristic that determines the success of the species in infesting seeds. Here, we present a reference genomic sequence obtained from a pool of 1-day-old adult females of Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman (1833) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae).