On Jan. 13, 2013 an international research team led by the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University announced they had completed the first genome sequence of the diamondback moth, one of the world’s most important pests of cruciferous crops in the world.

Damage caused by the insect had been recorded in every country growing cruciferous crops. The worldwide management of the moth is estimated to cost up to $4-5 billion each year.