Minimal tissue inputs produce a chromosome-scale genome assembly of the rusty patched bumble bee, an endangered North American pollinator

The rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis, is an important pollinator in North America and a federally listed endangered species. Due to habitat loss and large declines in population size, B. affinis is facing imminent extinction unless human intervention and recovery efforts are implemented. To better understand B. affinis biology and population genetic and genomic landscapes, we sequenced and assembled the B. affinis genome from a single male. Whole genome HiFi sequencing on PacBio coupled with HiC sequencing resulted in a complete and highly contiguous contig assembly that was scaffolded into a chromosomal context, resolving 18 chromosomes for this species. All material for both HiFi and HiC sequencing was derived from a single abdominal tissue segment from the one male. These assembly results, coupled with the minimal amount of tissue destructively sampled, demonstrates methods for generating contiguous and complete genomic resources for a rare and endangered species with limited material available and highlights the importance of sample preservation. Precise methods and applications of these methods are presented for potential applications in other species with similar limitations in specimen availability and curation considerations.