Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly Reveals Significant Gene Expansion in the Toll and IMD Signaling Pathways of .

A high-quality genome is of significant value when seeking to control forest pests such as , a destructive member of the order Lepidoptera that is widespread in China. Herein, a high quality, chromosome-level reference genome for based on Nanopore, Pacbio HiFi sequencing and the Hi-C capture system is presented. Overall, a final genome assembly of 705.51 Mb with contig and scaffold N50 values of 20.89 and 24.73 Mb, respectively, was obtained. Of these contigs, 95.89% had unique locations on 29 chromosomes. analysis revealed that the genome contained 15,323 protein-coding genes and 63.44% repetitive sequences. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that may diverged from the common ancestor of , , , , and approximately 122.05 million years ago. Many gene families were expanded in the genome, particularly those of the Toll and IMD signaling pathway, which included 10 genes in , 19 genes in , and 11 genes in . The findings from this study will help to elucidate the mechanisms involved in protection of against foreign substances and pathogens, and may highlight a potential channel to control this pest.