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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Novel Sequence Discovery by Subtractive Genomics
Published on: January 25, 2019
Genome report: Genome sequence of Phymata mystica (Evans), an ambush bug
Ethan Grebler1, Tracy Liesenfelt1, Paul K Masonick2
1Department of Entomology and Nematology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Abstract:
Recent advances in sequencing technology have made the sequencing of non-model organisms significantly more streamlined and feasible. Using these technologies, we begin to address the lack of data on non-model organisms, by sequencing the genome of one such species, Phymata mystica (Evans 1931), an ambush bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phymatinae) specialized for floral sit-and-wait style predation. Our genome assembly is 710 Mb, in which 99.7% of this sequence is assembled into 14 chromosomal scaffolds. We found that repetitive elements accounted for 58.85% of the sequence. We report 26,760 protein-coding genes in a preliminary annotation of the genome. Using these new resources, we explored both macrosynteny and gene conservation. Starting with chromosome structure, we found that P. mystica has a single X chromosome, unlike other well-assembled Reduviids in which the X apparently split into two linkage groups. Exploring this new annotation, we found a number of venom proteins conserved between P. mystica and the other venomous Heteroptera with reference genomes, primarily serine proteases, metallopeptidase and heteropteran venom family proteins. These results provide a new framework for the evolution of venom in this group of insects and further demonstrate the ease with which non-model species can be studied using modern genomic methods.
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