This study produced reference quality genomes of two cattle ticks Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus annulatus, which can be used to identify drug targets with acaricidal activity and refine anti-tick vaccine approaches.

This dataset reports discovery and initial comparative analysis of 88 presumptive microRNA (miRNA) sequences from the stable fly, obtained using high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs. The majority of stable fly miRNAs were 22-23 nucleotides (nt) in length. Many miRNAs were arthropod specific, and several mature miRNA sequences showed greater sequence identity to miRNAs from other blood-feeding dipterans such as mosquitoes rather than to Drosophilids. This initial step in characterizing the stable fly microRNAome provides a basis for further analyses of life stage-specific and tissue-specific expression to elucidate their functional roles in stable fly biology.

A New Zealand-USA consortium was established to sequence, assemble, and annotate the genome of Haemaphysalis longicornis, using ticks obtained from New Zealand's North Island.

To provide a foundation for identification of genomic loci for insecticide resistance and for discovery of new control technology, we report the sequencing, assembly, and annotation of the horn fly genome.