Telomere DNA in the insect order Dermaptera and the first evidence for the non-canonical telomeric motif TTCGG in Arthropoda

Despite recent advances in telomere research, the telomere DNA organization remains unknown for representatives of several insect orders. In this study, analysis of the chromosome-level genome assembly shows that the telomeric DNA of the earwig <i>Labiaminor</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) (Polyneoptera, Dermaptera, Spongiphoridae) consists of repeats of the 5 bp motif TTCGG/CCGAA. This is the first record describing the structure of telomeric DNA in the order Dermaptera. This record expands the spectrum of the known telomeric sequences, since the TTCGG motif has not been reported for insects previously.