Genome assembly and venom gene mapping in the medically important moth Lonomia casanarensis (Saturniidae: Hemileucinae)

Caterpillars of Lonomia moths (Saturniidae) are among the most medically significant lepidopterans worldwide. Their envenomation causes a severe hemorrhagic syndrome that can be fatal. Although antivenom therapy exists it is only produced using L. obliqua venom extract. More than 60 additional species of Lonomia are distributed across Central and South America, many of which pose an uncharacterized risk to human health. To enable comparative venom studies and genome-guided discovery of toxin genes, we present the first genome assembly of Lonomia casanarensis, a species responsible for most envenomation cases in Colombia. The assembly, generated using PacBio Revio long-read sequencing, spans 483.4 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 7.7 Mb, N90 of 2.4 Mb, and >99% BUSCO completeness. It comprises 154 contigs organized into 118 scaffolds and a complete mitochondrial genome. Phylogenomic analyses based on 1,190 single-copy orthologs place L. casanarensis within a clade of scoli-bearing saturniids. We provide a genomic map of the 21 venom genes previously identified from L. obliqua transcriptomic and proteomic data. This high-quality genome provides a foundation for the development of improved antivenoms and facilitates exploration of novel bioactive compounds from Lonomia venoms.