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Title: Genomics of Caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) Species Associated With Terrestrial Habitats
ABSTRACT Limnephilidae is a species‐rich and ecologically diverse family within the tube case making clade of caddisflies (Trichoptera). Species occur across a wide range of habitats, from cold headwater streams to stagnant pools to terrestrial environments. Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated whole genomes from two species that are associated with terrestrial environments:Enoicyla pusilla(Burmeister, 1839), distributed in the West Palearctic, andPhilocasca rivularis(Wiggins, 1968), distributed in the Nearctic. Comprising three species,Enoicylais the only genus of Trichoptera in Europe that exhibits a completely terrestrial life‐cycle. As one of four species ofPhilocasca, larvae ofP. rivularisalso exhibit terrestrial behavior during wet months, dispersing across the forest floor up to several meters away from the stream channel. In both species, we investigated genomic features, for example, genome size and dynamics of transposable elements across Limnephilidae. We also explored potential molecular adaptations of silk to terrestrial versus aquatic environments. Characterization of the major silk gene,h‐fibroin, of both species, as well as elemental analysis of silk ofPhilocasca rivularis, did not reveal molecular differences compared with silk of aquatic caddisfly species, potentially owing to the humid environments that both species inhabit. The new genomes form key resources for future genomic research on insect evolution, particularly related to habitat diversification and aquatic‐terrestrial transitions.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2217155
PAR ID:
10682011
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Ecology and Evolution
Volume:
16
Issue:
4
ISSN:
2045-7758
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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