Chromosome-level genome assembly of Marco Polo Blister Beetle (Hycleus marcipoli)

Hycleus marcipoli is an agricultural pest that feeds on the flowers and leaves of leguminous plants, including Desmodium spp., as well as sweet potatoes. It exhibits hypermetamorphic development-an exceptionally complex life cycle shared by the genus and subfamily. Despite the availability of fragmented genomes of Hycleus, a high-quality, chromosome-level genome reference is not yet available for this diverse genus. To address this gap, we present the first chromosome-level genome assembly for H. marcipoli. The 111 Mb genome (scaffold N50: 10.22 Mb) was successfully anchored to 11 chromosomes, with repetitive elements accounting for 26.43% of the assembly. We annotated 13,357 protein-coding genes, achieving 98.80% BUSCO completeness. This high-quality genomic resource establishes a foundation for elucidating the olfactory and visual system modifications associated with metamorphic transitions, understanding the evolutionary drivers of rapid species diversification in Hycleus, and exploring novel targets for pest control.