show Abstracthide AbstractLeishmaniasis is the second biggest parasitic killer after malaria. It is estimated to kill an estimated 40,000 people every year, and accounts for an estimated 2.4 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The Leishmania parasite is transmitted to humans when female sand flies bite humans to obtain blood meals that they require for reproduction. A better understanding of sand fly biology and populations is important for the control and monitoring of this disease vector. This is a new, very high-quality reference genome sequence for Lutzomyia longipalpis, found in the New World, a primary vector of American visceral leishmaniasis that we hope will be a foundation for future efforts to monitor and control the vector of this devastating disease