Comprehensive stage- and tissue-specific transcriptome of the global ecosystem service insect, marmalade hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Importantly, extensive research has revealed that numerous species within this group engage in long-distance migrations, thereby enabling these services to operate across broad spatial scales. Hence, the conservation and sustainable use of this functionally important group is crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance and stability, especially in the face of ongoing losses of ecosystem functioning.

However, limited genomic and transcriptomic resources hinder the advancement of research on this significant group. To address this gap, we generated a comprehensive developmental- and tissue-resolved transcriptome for Episyrphus balteatus, the dominant and most extensively researched migratory hoverfly species. We sequenced 30 RNA-seq libraries across three life stages (egg, larva, and pupa) and seven adult tissues (antenna, proboscis, head, thorax, body, leg, and wing), yielding 133.87 Gb of clean reads.