Comparative hemipteran genomics addresses development, ecology, and genome structure

The Hemiptera are the most species-rich order of hemimetabolous insect, characterized by piercing and sucking mouthparts that have allowed them to exploit diverse food sources and ecological niches across the globe.  A recent i5k pilot project has generated draft genomes for a number of hemipterans and related insects, providing the first opportunity to investigate the underlying genomic features that correlate with lineage specific adaptations and that are shared across the order, making a bug a bug.  Having served as a research model for physiology and development since the 1960s, the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus provides arguably the best experimental reference species for the Hemiptera.  So, how representative is it with respect to genome evolution?  I will present our recent work comparing genome size, gene structure, and protein family repertoires, including those relevant for feeding ecology.