ERGA-BGE Genomes of Culex laticinctus, Culex modestus, Culex perexiguus, and Culex theileri: Unveiling the Genomes of the Key Vectors of West Nile Virus in the Mediterranean Basin

The reference genomes of Culex laticinctus, Culex modestus, Culex perexiguus, and Culex theileri offer crucial resources for exploring the genetic basis of vector competence for different pathogens, including the emerging West Nile virus. Each genome was assembled into three contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules. These chromosome-level assemblies encompass 834, 698, 436, and 934 Mb, respectively. They are composed of 3,284, 4,220, 1,917, and 2,704 contigs and 312, 979, 475, and 709 scaffolds, with contig N50 values of 434, 313, 473, and 770 kb, and scaffold N50 values of 292, 246, 150, and 281 Mb, respectively. These genomes offer an essential genomic resource for advancing our understanding of Culex evolution and population genomic analyses, which will help to implement sustainable mosquito control efforts and disease prevention.