First Draft Genome Assembly of Tropical Bed Bug, <i>Cimex hemipterus</i> (F.)

Abstract

Cimex hemipterus, a blood-feeding ectoparasite commonly found in tropical regions, is a notorious household pest. The draft genome assembly of C. hemipterus is presented in this study, generated using SPAdes software with Illumina short reads. The obtained genome size was 388.66 Mb with a contig N50 size of 3503 bp. BUSCO assessment indicated that 96.71% of the expected Insecta lineage genes were complete in the genome assembly. Annotation of the C. hemipterus genome assembly identified 2.88% of repetitive sequences and 17,254 protein-coding genes. Functional annotation showed that most gene families are involved in cellular processes and signaling. This first C. hemipterus genome will be helpful in further understanding the bed bug genetics and evolution, while the annotated genome may also help in devising new strategies in bed bug management.

Keywords

• <i>Cimex hemipterus</i>
• tropical bed bug
• draft genome
• Illumina sequencing