Transcriptomics Provide Insights into the Photoperiodic Regulation of Reproductive Diapause in the Green Lacewing, (Okamoto) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

(Okamoto) displays typical adult reproductive diapause under short photoperiods; however, our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying photoperiod-sensitive reproduction remains limited. In this study, we performed transcriptome profiling of four treatments (the diapause-sensitive stage and pre-diapause phase under long and short photoperiods) of using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 71,654 unigenes were obtained from the samples. Enrichment analysis showed that fatty acid metabolism-related pathways were altered under a short photoperiod. Moreover, β-oxidation-related gene expression was active during the diapause-sensitive period under a short photoperiod. The knockdown of juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase 1 () prolonged the pre-oviposition period but did not affect the reproductive ability of female individuals in . These findings provided us with a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of photoperiod-sensitive diapause and show that groundwork is crucial for bolstering the long-term storage and biocontrol potential of .