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- Jianbin Lu2,
- Chao Liu1,
- Jiani Lin1,
- Miyuan Ren1,
- He Lv3,
- Chengquan Cao4 &
- …
- Yiping Wang1
Scientific Data (2026) Cite this article
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Abstract
Pygoluciola qingyu Fu and Ballantyne, 2008 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae) is the first discovered firefly species in China that shows synchronous bioluminescent display. The spectacular display of coordinated flashing has garnered extensive research, scientific, and tourist interests. However, studies on the genetic foundation underlying the phenomenon have been constrained by the lack of adequate genomic resources. In an attempt to close the information gap, we made use of advanced sequencing tools, such as PacBio HiFi sequencing in combination with Hi-C, in order to produce a high-fidelity, chromosome-scale genome assembly for P. qingyu. The resulting genome was 914.66 Mb in size, divided into 10 pseudochromosomes, with an N50 scaffold size of 100.25 Mb and a BUSCO completeness score of 98.52%. Repetitive sequences made up about 51.85% of the genomic content. Annotation resulted in 20,502 protein-coding gene models, with 99.21% BUSCO completeness and 92.6% of these gene models having functional annotations added. This high-quality dataset provides an important foundation for future investigations of the molecular mechanisms of coordinated luminescence, the population genetic structure of P. qingyu, and general firefly evolutionary inquiry.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank Mr Xiao Rui from Qingying Firefly Conservation and Restoration Center for her valuable assistance sample collection.
Funding
This work was supported by the Zhejiang Insect Resource Survey, Information Management and Compilation Project and Zhejiang Province College Students’ Science and Technology Innovation Program (Xin-Miao talent plan) in 2025 (No. 2025R412C062).
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Li, J., Lu, J., Liu, C. et al. The chromosome-level genome of the synchronously flashing firefly Pygoluciola qingyu (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Sci Data (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-08078-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-08078-2