The stage- and sex-specific transcriptome of the striped flea beetle Phyllotreta striolata

A key challenge to its control lies in its complex life cycle—with egg, larval, and pupal stages confined to soil, while adults infest aerial plant parts—coupled with distinct antennal differences between males and females that underpin sex-specific ecological traits. Transcriptomic profiling across developmental stages offers a powerful approach to decode the genetic basis of these stage- and sex-related traits and inform targeted pest management.

Here, we present the first comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of P. striolata, encompassing four key life stages (egg, larva, pupa, adult) with separate male and female adult. RNA sequencing of 15 samples (biological triplicates per group) generated 334.5 million raw reads. Dataset reliability was robust, as validated by correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and qRT-PCR.