Genome resequencing and genome‐wide polymorphisms in Chinese population of <i>Phyllotreta striolata</i> (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

Abstract The striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata , is a globally notorious pest of cruciferous vegetables. In this study, we sequenced the genome of a Chinese population of P . striolata and aligned it with the reference genome from a Canadian population. Through Illumina sequencing and reference‐based genome polishing, we obtained a high‐quality genome of 131.31 Mb with an N50 size of 8.68 Mb. Genome comparison revealed that the Chinese and Canadian populations of P . striolata presented 175 and 122 population‐specific genes, respectively. Through a genome‐wide screening, six genes were identified as potential RNA interference targets influencing the development or survival of P . striolata . Additionally, we identified 1.16 million high‐confidence variants in the Chinese P . striolata population, including 0.69 million single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and 0.43 million insertions/deletions. Variant effect analysis and functional annotation revealed 7571 variants with high‐impact effects, and the related genes were involved in various basic biological processes in P . striolata . Overall, our findings provide valuable resources for advancing genomic research on P . striolata as well as for those pursuing targeted biopesticides for effective control strategies.