Population genomics provides insights into lineage divergence and local adaptation within the cotton bollworm

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a cosmopolitan pest and its diverse habitats plausibly contribute to the formation of diverse lineages. Despite the significant threat it poses to economic crops worldwide, its evolutionary history and genetic basis of local adaptation are poorly understood. In this study, we de novo assembled a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of H. a. armigera (contig N50 = 7.34 Mb), with 99.13% of the HaSCD2 assembly assigned to 31 chromosomes (Z-chromosome + 30 autosomes). We constructed an ultradense variation map across 14 cotton bollworm populations and identified a novel lineage in northwestern China. Historical inference showed that effective population size changes coincided with global temperature fluctuation. We identified nine differentiated genes in the three H. armigera lineages (H. a. armigera, H. a. conferta and the new northwestern Chinese lineage), of which per and clk genes are involved in circadian rhythm. Selective sweep analyses identified a series of Gene Ontology categories related to climate adaptation, feeding behaviour and insecticide tolerance. Our findings reveal fundamental knowledge of the local adaptation of different cotton bollworm lineages and will guide the formulation of cotton bollworm management measures at different scales.