Abstract
The white-spotted sawyer, Monochamus scutellatus (Say) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is an important vector of pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle, in North America. While Monochamus species from the Palearctic region have been extensively studied for their role in transmitting PWN that causes pine wilt disease in Asia and Europe, the genetic mechanisms underlying Monochamus-PWN interactions in their native range remain largely unknown. Here, we present the first chromosome-level genome assembly of the North American M. scutellatus, constructed using PacBio HiFi long read, Pore-C chromatin conformation capture, and Illumina RNA sequencing. The assembled genome spans 830.9 Mbp, with a scaffold N50 of 87.9 Mbp, 97.9% of which were anchored to 10 chromosome-level scaffolds. The X chromosome was identified through synteny analysis. Repeat elements constitute 70.7% of the genome, and 13,684 protein-coding genes were functionally annotated. This reference-quality genome of M. scutellatus provides a valuable comparative resource for elucidating the genomic basis of Monochamus-PWN interactions, and offers a foundation for devising targeted management strategies against PWN and its vectors.