Genome
Guides
Apolygus lucorum
Apolygus lucorum is a trans-Palearctic mirid bug with a broad distribution across Europe and Asia. It is a polyphagous pest with significant economic impact on cotton and other crops in northern China, where it has become increasingly problematic following changes in agricultural practices. The species exhibits phytozoophagous feeding behavior, consuming both plant sap and small arthropod prey. Adults are small, yellowish-green, and active from summer through autumn.
Argyra
Argyra is a genus of long-legged flies in the family Dolichopodidae, established by Macquart in 1834. The genus name derives from the Greek word for 'silver,' referencing the silver pruinescence found on males of many species. Members of this genus are part of the diverse Diaphorinae subfamily and have been subjects of recent genomic research, including a complete genome assembly for Argyra leucocephala.
Liposcelis brunnea
booklouse, brown booklouse
Liposcelis brunnea is a globally distributed booklouse and significant stored-product pest. It is the phylogenetic sister group to parasitic lice and possesses exceptional resistance to insecticides and fumigants, particularly phosphine. The species can survive heat treatment and has been maintained in laboratory culture for over 100 generations. Its genome shows expansion of chemosensory gene families and detoxification enzymes compared to parasitic lice.
Micromus angulatus
brown lacewing
Micromus angulatus is a predatory brown lacewing (Hemerobiidae) distributed across Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, and Southern Asia. Both larvae and adults are active predators of aphids and other small soft-bodied insects, with third-instar larvae and female adults showing particularly high predation rates. The species has been extensively studied as a biological control agent against agricultural pests including Aphis craccivora, Illinoia lambersi, and Myzus persicae. Laboratory studies demonstrate temperature-dependent predation efficiency, with stable adult performance across 15–25°C and enhanced larval activity at warmer temperatures. A chromosome-level genome assembly of 1.29 Gb has been published, supporting its potential for augmentative biological control programs.
Orchesella
Orchesella is a genus of springtails (Collembola) in the family Orchesellidae, characterized by subdivided basal antennal segments. The genus comprises approximately 96 species distributed across diverse global habitats from Arctic to tropical regions. Several species, notably O. cincta, have been extensively studied as model organisms for understanding heavy metal tolerance and evolutionary adaptation to polluted environments.
Polia
Polia is a genus of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae, established by Ochsenheimer in 1816. The genus includes the Grey Arches (Polia nebulosa), a species with a recently sequenced genome as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project. Polia species are characterized by variable forewing coloration and are found in temperate regions across Europe and Asia.
Tachina
Tachina is a genus of large tachinid flies comprising approximately 600 species worldwide. Adults are typically 9–14 mm in length with conspicuous spiky bristles. The genus is notable for its larval parasitoid lifestyle, with most species targeting lepidopteran caterpillars as hosts. Tachina fera, the best-studied species, has a chromosome-level genome assembly representing the first high-quality genomic resource for the family Tachinidae.
Toumeyella liriodendri
tuliptree scale
Toumeyella liriodendri, the tuliptree scale, is a soft scale insect (Coccidae) native to North America and specialized on Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar). This univoltine species overwinters as second-instar nymphs on twigs, matures to adults in spring, and produces eggs that hatch into crawlers in early summer. First-instar nymphs feed on leaf undersides before migrating back to twigs in autumn. Males are unknown; reproduction is presumed parthenogenetic. Heavy infestations cause branch dieback, reduced growth, and honeydew production that supports sooty mold growth. The species has been the subject of recent genomic research, with a 536Mb genome assembly revealing it as an early-diverging soft scale with 17 chromosomes.
Uloborus diversus
hackled orb-weaver, featherlegged orb-weaver
Uloborus diversus is a cribellate orb-weaving spider in the family Uloboridae. It inhabits desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is one of few North American spiders that lack venom glands, instead subduing prey through silk constriction. It has become an important model organism for studying the evolution of spidroins (spider silk proteins) and the neurobiology of orb-web construction behavior. A chromosome-level genome assembly has been completed to support this research.