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

The <i>Leviellus thorelli</i> reference genome provides the first high-quality genomic resource for <i>Zygiellidae</i>, 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 <i>L. thorelli</i> 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 <i>Zygiellidae</i> 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.