ERGA-BGE reference genome of Leviellus thorelli, a common orb-weaving spider representing the Zygiellidae family

TL;DR

This paper presents a high-quality reference genome for the spider Leviellus thorelli, the first from the Zygiellidae family, aiding studies on spider web and silk evolution.

Contribution

The first chromosome-level reference genome for the Zygiellidae family, enhancing comparative genomic studies of orb-weaving spiders.

Findings

The L. thorelli genome is assembled into 13 chromosomal pseudomolecules with a total size of 2.20 Gb.

The assembly has high contiguity with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.4 Mb and 167.1 Mb, respectively.

This genome supports comparative studies on the evolution of orb webs and silk in spiders.

Abstract

The
Leviellus thorelli reference genome provides the first high-quality genomic resource for
Zygiellidae, a family of orb-weaving spiders with a dynamic systematic history and distinct for constructing webs with a characteristic spiral-free sector. As part of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), we generated a chromosome-level assembly for
L. thorelli that is organized into 13 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 2.20 Gb and is composed of 939 contigs and 130 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.4 Mb and 167.1 Mb, respectively. This genome represents a valuable addition to the growing collection of spider genomes. With
Zygiellidae now included among the available genomes of true orb-weavers, this is a key resource for comparative studies into the genomic basis of orb web and silk evolution.

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