Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Aug 1;11(8):2203-2207.
doi: 10.1093/gbe/evz166.

Draft Genome of Busseola fusca, the Maize Stalk Borer, a Major Crop Pest in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kayla M Hardwick  1   2 , Awino Maureiq Edith Ojwang'  3   4 , Francesca Stomeo  3   5 , Solomon Maina  3   6 , Gladys Bichang'a  7   8 , Paul-André Calatayud  8   9 , Jonathan Filée  9 , Appolinaire Djikeng  3   10 , Caitlin Miller  1   11 , Leah Cepko  1 , Alistair C Darby  12 , Bruno Le Ru  8   9 , Sarah Schaack  1
Affiliations

Draft Genome of Busseola fusca, the Maize Stalk Borer, a Major Crop Pest in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kayla M Hardwick et al. Genome Biol Evol. .

Abstract

The maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca, is an important Lepidopteran pest of cereal crops in Central, East, and Southern Africa. Crop losses due to B. fusca feeding activity vary by region, but can result in total crop loss in areas with high levels of infestation. Genomic resources provide critical insight into the biology of pest species and can allow for the development of effective management tools and strategies to mitigate their impact on agriculture. To this end, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the genome of B. fusca. The total assembled genome size was 492.9 Mb with 19,417 annotated protein-coding genes. Using a comparative approach, we identified a putative expansion in the Chorion gene family, which is involved in the formation of the egg shell structure. Our analysis revealed high repeat content within the B. fusca genome, with LTR sequences comprising the majority of the repetitive sequence. We hope genomic resources will provide a foundation for future work aimed at developing an integrated pest management strategy to reduce B. fusca's impact on food security.

Keywords: Lepidoptera; agricultural pest; insect genomics.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Branca A, Le Ru BP, Vavre F, Silvain JF, Dupas S.. 2011. Intraspecific specialization of the generalist parasitoid Cotesia sesamiae revealed by polyDNAvirus polymorphism and associated with different Wolbachia infection. Mol Ecol. 20(5):959–971. - PubMed
    1. Calatayud PA, Le Ru BP, Schulthess F, Silvain JF.. 2006. Research on the lepidopteran graminaceous stem borers and their antagonists: achievement and perspectives. Ann Soc Entomol Fr. 42(3-4):259–262.
    1. Calatayud PA, Le Ru BP, Van den Berg J, Schulthess F.. 2014. Ecology of the African maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with special reference to insect-plant interactions. Insects 5(3):539–563. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Calatayud PA, et al. 2016. Is genome size of Lepidoptera linked to host plant range? Entomol Exp Appl. 159(3):354–361.
    1. Campagne P, Kruger M, Pasquet R, Le Ru B, Van den Berg J.. 2013. Dominant inheritance of field-evolved resistance to Bt corn in Busseola fusca. PLoS One 8(7):e69675.. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances