Thomas Marcussen

The giant stream lacewing, Osmylus fulvicephalus (Scopoli, 1763), is a widespread European species belonging to the insect order Neuroptera. Its cryptic larvae are predators found at the banks of streams and smaller rivers where they use their piercing, lance-shaped stylets to inject venom into their arthropod prey. Here, we present the reference genome of the giant stream lacewing as a crucial resource for uncovering the genetic basis of venom evolution in Neuroptera. The chromosome-level genome encompasses 674.7 Mb and is composed of 60 contigs and 24 scaffolds where 99.2% of the assembly is distributed among the 6 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and two sex chromosomes (X and Y). Contig and scaffold N50 have a value of 51.5 Mb and 116.2 Mb, respectively. This reference genome is the first genomic resource from the family of lance lacewings, providing valuable data for clarifying the phylogenetic placement of the family Osmylidae within Neuroptera.

The reference genome of Orthotrichum diaphanum Schrad. ex Brid. will provide a foundational genomic resource for phylogenomic, ecological, and evolutionary studies within Orthotrichaceae Arn. and, more broadly, bryophytes. Its ecological amplitude and global distribution makes it especially valuable for comparative genomics and understanding patterns of adaptation across environmental gradients. The genome sequence was assembled into 10 nuclear chromosomal pseudomolecules, plus one mitochondrial and one chloroplast genome. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 0.30 Gb, composed of 354 contigs and 27 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 1.43 Mb and 29.3 Mb, respectively.

The Eunicella cavolini reference genome provides an important resource to study the adaptation of this species to different environments and anthropic pressures. This species is impacted by human activities, including climate change, and this reference genome will be useful to study the genomic evolution of this species. The entirety of the genome sequence was assembled into 17 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 0.49 Gb, composed of 159 contigs and 46 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 7.7 Mb and 51.1 Mb, respectively.

The reference genome of the Eurasian Woodcock ( Scolopax rusticola) is an important resource to investigate population structure across the wide breeding range of this iconic game species and the conservation status of specific management units, such as the isolated Macaronesian populations. The genome sequence was assembled into 45 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and 2 sex chromosomes (W and Z). This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 1.2 Gb, composed of 1,613 contigs and 935 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.9 Mb and 34.2 Mb, respectively.

Ancient whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are thought to have played a major role in plant evolution, but robust inference of the patterns and drivers of polyploid establishment through deep time remains challenging. We re-evaluate the recent large-scale study by Chen et al. (2026), which linked polyploid establishment throughout angiosperm evolution to periods of climatic instability and low species richness. We identify five conceptual and methodological issues that substantially affect these conclusions and collectively undermine the proposed temporal and ecological associations. We hope that clarifying these issues will support future efforts to understand the evolutionary role of polyploidy in plant evolution.

The giant stream lacewing, Osmylus fulvicephalus (Scopoli, 1763), is a widespread European species belonging to the insect order Neuroptera. Its cryptic larvae are predators found at the banks of streams and smaller rivers where they use their piercing, lance-shaped stylets to inject venom into their arthropod prey. Here, we present the reference genome of the giant stream lacewing as a crucial resource for uncovering the genetic basis of venom evolution in Neuroptera. The chromosome-level genome encompasses 0.67 Gb and is composed of 60 contigs and 24 scaffolds where 99.2% of the assembly is distributed among the 6 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and two sex chromosomes (X and Y). Contig and scaffold N50 have a value of 51.5 Mb and 116.2 Mb, respectively. This reference genome is the first genomic resource from the family of lance lacewings, providing valuable data for clarifying the phylogenetic placement of the family Osmylidae within Neuroptera.

The Gambusia holbrooki (eastern mosquitofish) reference genome will offer a crucial resource for understanding the evolution and adaptation of invasive freshwater fish species. The genome of G. holbrooki was assembled into two haplotypes through a phased assembly approach; however, only the primary haplotype was designated as the reference genome for annotation and downstream analyses. The entirety of the genome sequence was assembled into 24 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and 1 mitochondrial genome. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 0.67 Gb, composed of 421 contigs and 318 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 15.9 Mb and 29.6 Mb, respectively.

Xylophaga dorsalis is a common Atlantic-Mediterranean mollusc that plays a crucial role in deep-sea habitats, where it digests wood that reaches the seabed through a unique symbiosis with specialised bacteria. The reference genome of X. dorsalis thus offers a crucial resource for uncovering the genetic basis of the species adaptability to wood bore in deep-water ecosystems. The entirety of the genome sequence was assembled into 18 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules (superscaffolds) and 1 mitochondrial genome. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 0.451 Gb, composed of 1,259 contigs and 320 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 1.30 Mb and 25.4 Mb, respectively. The genome assembly encodes 19,441 protein-coding genes (34,405 transcripts) and 6,716 non-coding genes.

The giant stream lacewing, Osmylus fulvicephalus (Scopoli, 1763), is a widespread European species belonging to the insect order Neuroptera. Its cryptic larvae are predators found at the banks of streams and smaller rivers where they use their piercing, lance-shaped stylets to inject venom into their arthropod prey. Here, we present the reference genome of the giant stream lacewing as a crucial resource for uncovering the genetic basis of venom evolution in Neuroptera. The chromosome-level genome encompasses 0.67 Gb and is composed of 60 contigs and 24 scaffolds where 99.2% of the assembly is distributed among the 6 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and two sex chromosomes (X and Y). Contig and scaffold N50 have a value of 51.5 Mb and 116.2 Mb, respectively. This reference genome is the first genomic resource from the family of lance lacewings, providing valuable data for clarifying the phylogenetic placement of the family Osmylidae within Neuroptera.

The reference genome of the Eurasian Woodcock ( Scolopax rusticola) is an important resource to investigate population structure across the wide breeding range of this iconic game species and the conservation status of specific management units, such as the isolated Macaronesian populations. The genome sequence was assembled into 45 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules and 2 sex chromosomes (W and Z). This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 1.2 Gb, composed of 1,613 contigs and 935 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.9 Mb and 34.2 Mb, respectively.