# A chromosome-level genome assembly of Sarcophaga princeps Wiedemann, 1830 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

## TL;DR

This paper presents a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly for Sarcophaga princeps, a fly species important in forensic entomology.

## Contribution

The study provides the first chromosome-level genome assembly for Sarcophaga princeps using advanced sequencing technologies.

## Key findings

- The genome assembly is 628.56 Mb with 99.87% of the sequence anchored to seven chromosomes.
- BUSCO analysis shows 99.10% completeness with 94.4% of genes in single copy.
- Repetitive sequences make up 333.04 Mb of the genome, and 14,348 protein-coding genes were identified.

## Abstract

Sarcosaprophagous insects play a pivotal role in forensic entomology, particularly in estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI). Among them, Sarcophaga princeps Wiedemann, 1830 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), demonstrates distinct ecological traits such as larviposition and the ability to colonize buried remains. Even so, it has been hard to learn more about its molecular biology since a high-quality genome assembly is missing. This research uses PacBio HiFi, Illumina and Hi-C methods to produce a chromosome-level genome assembly for S. princeps. The resulting genome spans 628.56 Mb, with a scaffold N50 of 118.89 Mb, and 99.87% of the assembled sequence (627.74 Mb) successfully anchored to seven chromosomes. BUSCO analysis indicates that the genome is 99.10% complete, with 94.4% of genes present in single copy and 4.7% duplicated. Annotation of the genome identified 14,348 protein-coding genes and found that repetitive sequences occupy 333.04 Mb of the genome. The availability of this high-resolution genomic resource will greatly improve future research on the evolution, habitats and genomics of the Sarcophagidae family.