ERGA-BGE reference genome of Leviellus thorelli, a common orb-weaving spider representing the Zygiellidae family

<ns3:p> The <ns3:italic>Leviellus thorelli</ns3:italic> reference genome provides the first high-quality genomic resource for <ns3:italic>Zygiellidae</ns3:italic> , a family of orb-weaving spiders with a dynamic systematic history and distinct for constructing webs with a characteristic spiral-free sector. As part of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA), we generated a chromosome-level assembly for <ns3:italic>L. thorelli</ns3:italic> that is organized into 13 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 2.20 Gb and is composed of 939 contigs and 130 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.4 Mb and 167.1 Mb, respectively. This genome represents a valuable addition to the growing collection of spider genomes. With <ns3:italic>Zygiellidae</ns3:italic> now included among the available genomes of true orb-weavers, this is a key resource for comparative studies into the genomic basis of orb web and silk evolution. </ns3:p>