Chromosome‐level genome assembly of the bean bug Riptortus pedestris

Abstract The bean bug ( Riptortus pedestris ) causes great economic losses of soybeans by piercing and sucking pods and seeds. Although R . pedestris has become the focus of numerous studies associated with insect–microbe interactions, plant–insect interactions, and pesticide resistance, a lack of genomic resources has limited deeper insights. Here, we report the first R . pedestris genome at the chromosomal level using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi‐C technologies. The assembled genome was 1.080 Gb in size with a contig N50 of 2.882 Mb. More than 96.3% of the total genome bases were successfully anchored to six unique chromosomes. Genome resequencing of male and female individuals and chromosomic staining demonstrated that the sex chromosome system of R . pedestris is XO, and the shortest chromosome is the X chromosome. In total, 19,026 protein‐coding genes were predicted, 18,745 of which were validated as being expressed. Temporospatial expression of R . pedestris genes in six tissues and 37 development stages revealed 4,657 and 7,793 genes mainly expressed in gonads and egg periods, respectively. Evolutionary analysis demonstrated that R . pedestris and Oncopeltus fasciatus formed a sister group and split ∼80 million years ago (Mya). Additionally, a 5.04 Mb complete genome of symbiotic Serratia marcescens Rip1 was assembled, and the virulence factors that account for successful colonization in the host midgut were identified. The high‐quality R . pedestris genome provides a valuable resource for further research, as well as for the pest management of bug pests.