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Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History

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A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Systematics, Phylogeny and Evolution".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 20130

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Prof. Dr. Diying Huang

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Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: fossil insects; amber research; Mesozoic insects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Chenyang Cai

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State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: palaeontology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Understanding insect evolution is vital for deciphering the early development of terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, given that insects are the most diverse and ecologically significant group of animals. Their evolutionary history sheds light on ecological interactions, adaptation mechanisms, and the resilience of life during major geological events. In recent decades, fossil insect research has experienced a remarkable resurgence, spurred by the discovery of exceptional entomofaunas and advances in phylogenomics that enable robust reconstruction of the insect Tree of Life. These findings provide unparalleled insights into the patterns and timescales of evolution within hexapods, the most diverse animal group.

This Special Issue aims to present systematic research that deepens our understanding of insect evolution through an integrative approach. By combining fossil evidence with cutting-edge phylogenomic techniques, the contributions will explore key evolutionary transitions, morphological innovations, and ecological adaptations that have shaped insect diversity. The issue will cover a wide range of topics, including the origins of major insect lineages, the impact of mass extinctions on insect biodiversity, and the co-evolutionary dynamics between insects and their environments. Through these studies, we hope to provide a comprehensive view of how insects have evolved over hundreds of millions of years, offering new perspectives on their role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to):

Insect taxa from deposits with exceptional preservation, analysed within broader phylogenetic contexts.
Phylogenetic studies that integrate fossil insects alongside their extant relatives.
Macroevolutionary studies examining the fossil record of hexapods.
Paleontological methods that facilitate the study of exceptionally preserved specimens in fossil resins.
Taphonomic research that investigates biases and controls affecting the exceptional preservation of terrestrial arthropods.

We encourage submissions that delve into these themes and contribute to our understanding of insect evolution. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting field of research!

Prof. Dr. Diying Huang
Prof. Dr. Chenyang Cai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

amber
palaeodiversity
phylogeny
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
palaeoentomology
terrestrial ecosystems
radiation
insect-plant association

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

54 pages, 23221 KB

Open AccessArticle

Soldier Beetle Larvae Are Much More Common in the Fossil Record than Previously Anticipated

by Simon J. Linhart, Carolin Haug, Ana Zippel, Olympia Salvamoser, Patrick Müller and Joachim T. Haug

Insects 2026, 17(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040406 - 9 Apr 2026

Viewed by 676

Abstract

Soldier beetle larvae are characterised by numerous very small setae on their body surface, giving them a velvety appearance and hydrophobic properties, and paired gland openings on the segments of the thorax and abdomen for defensive purposes. Only recently, such a larva has been recognised in Cretaceous amber. Previously, only two specimens from Baltic amber were known from the fossil record. This provides the impression that such larvae are rare. We report 45 new larval specimens from Eocene Baltic amber and Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar), demonstrating that these fossils are, in fact, more common, but simply not reported. We use the expanded dataset (with fossil and extant larvae and adults, more than 300 specimens) to explore the ontogeny of soldier beetles by quantitatively comparing morphological aspects over time. It appears that there is no major loss in the morphology of adults and larvae. On the contrary, certain larvae known in the modern fauna, so-called pre-larvae, seem absent in the fossil record. Due to the pre-larvae, some modern soldier beetles have certain characteristics of hypermetamorphosis. This type of developmental pattern is also characterised by a distinct change in the direction of the developmental trajectory. However, such a change could not be identified in soldier beetles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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12 pages, 956 KB

Open AccessArticle

A New Genus and Species of Syspastoxyelidae (Hymenoptera) from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber

by Xiao Li, Gengyun Niu and Meicai Wei

Insects 2026, 17(3), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030289 - 6 Mar 2026

Viewed by 602

Abstract

Syspastoxyelidae is an extinct basal hymenopteran lineage currently known only from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Here, we describe a new genus and species, Cilioxyela setosa gen. et sp. nov., based on a well-preserved female specimen from the Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar. The new taxon is assigned to Syspastoxyelidae based on diagnostic characters, including strongly proximally condensed forewing venation, a composite first flagellomere formed by fused ancestral segments, tibiae bearing dense robust spines, and segmented cerci. Cilioxyela gen. nov. differs from all previously described genera by a unique character combination, most notably, a distal forewing veinless membrane lacking longitudinal corrugation and conspicuously elongated marginal setae, together with a narrowed forewing, elongate pterostigma and anal cell, and distinctive antennal segmentation. These features support the establishment of a new genus. Comparative analysis indicates that distal forewing morphology in Syspastoxyelidae is more variable than previously recognized. The presence or absence of longitudinal corrugation in the distal forewing membrane likely reflects genus-level differentiation rather than a stable family-level synapomorphy. The new genus also supports a tentative division of Syspastoxyelidae into at least two morphologically cohesive groups, pending testing through additional fossil discoveries and quantitative phylogenetic analyses. The discovery of Cilioxyela setosa expands the known morphological disparity of Syspastoxyelidae and highlights evolutionary plasticity in distal forewing architecture among early Hymenoptera, contributing to a better understanding of morphological diversification in mid-Cretaceous forest ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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11 pages, 5936 KB

Open AccessArticle

New Insights into Diversity of Myanmarinidae (Hyenoptera: Apocrita), with Description of Two New Species from Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar Amber

by Zixiaocheng Wang, Yan Zheng, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn, Ning Jia, Wenqian Wang, Liran Wang, Yaning Zhang and Feilong Zhao

Insects 2026, 17(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020147 - 27 Jan 2026

Viewed by 743

Abstract

Two new species assigned to the genus Myanmarina of the family Myanmarinidae are described and figured from male specimens preserved in Upper Cretaceous ambers from the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar. Myanmarina simplex sp. nov. can be distinguished by a small head, 13-segmented antennae, the first flagellomere equal to the second one in length and protibiae with a bifurcated spur. Myanmarina grandis sp. nov. is established based on a large head, 11-segmented antennae, the first flagellomere shorter than the second one and all tibiae with a spur and dorso-apical tooth. In addition, the key to known species of Myanmarina was updated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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12 pages, 1746 KB

Open AccessArticle

The First Record of Whitefly (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) from Bitterfeld Amber

by Jowita Drohojowska, Anita Gorzelańczyk, Natalia Tomanek, Małgorzata Kalandyk-Kołodziejczyk and Jacek Szwedo

Insects 2026, 17(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010050 - 30 Dec 2025

Viewed by 1040

Abstract

A male specimen of whitefly Pudrica christianottoi Drohojowska et Szwedo, 2024, of subfamily Aleyrodinae, previously known from the sole female specimen from Lower Lusatia succinite, is here described, based on an inclusion from Bitterfeld amber. This fossil is contributing new data to our understanding of morphological disparity, sexual dimorphism, taxonomic diversity and palaeobiogeographic distribution of the whiteflies in the Eocene fossil resins. It is also a contribution to the ongoing discussions on age, similarities, dissimilarities and taphonomic differences among Eocene resins of Europe collectively known as ‘Baltic amber’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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11 pages, 1727 KB

Open AccessArticle

A New Interesting Moth Lacewing (Neuroptera: Ithonidae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber

by Yuying Li, Siting Liu, Shumin Li, Jie Yang, Chaofan Shi, Dong Ren and Qiang Yang

Insects 2026, 17(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010014 - 22 Dec 2025

Viewed by 714

Abstract

One new genus and species of Ithonidae, Cretithone zhangi gen. et sp. nov., is described from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Cretithone gen. nov. is distinguished from other fossil ithonids by the combination of the following characteristics: exceptionally broad costal space; proximal branches of RP fused into a single vein and then fused with M; medial branches of RP fused with each other; simple basal M, with marginal forks; CuA divided into two main branches, the anterior branch with posteriorly directed subbranches and the posterior branch with anteriorly directed subbranches; and most proximal branches of CuP fused with adjacent branches. The new genus and species has been assigned to the Principiala genus-group by the fusion of the proximal branches of RP and the peculiar configuration of M and CuA. Variations in the forewing characteristics among the fossil ithonids are briefly discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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29 pages, 7768 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Diversity of Spoon-Winged and Thread-Winged Lacewing Larvae Today and in Deep Time—An Expanded View

by Laura Buchner, Simon Linhart, Gideon T. Haug, Florian Braig, Thomas Weiterschan, Patrick Müller, Joachim T. Haug and Carolin Haug

Insects 2026, 17(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010011 - 20 Dec 2025

Viewed by 1188

Abstract

Larvae of lacewings (Neuroptera) are (mostly) ferocious predators, and the most well known are the larvae of antlions. In the larger group of antlion-like lacewings, the larvae resemble those of antlions to a certain degree but have certain peculiarities. Larvae of the group Nemopteridae can be easily separated into two groups: the larvae of Crocinae (thread-winged lacewings), also known as long-necked antlions, have relatively slender mouthparts and long necks, as the name suggests; the larvae of Nemopterinae (spoon-winged lacewings) have stout mouthparts and bodies. We here report new lacewing larvae of the group Nemopteridae from about 100-million-year-old Kachin amber, Myanmar. The new findings significantly expand the dataset of these animals in the fossil record. Quantitative analyses comparing the fossil and extant larvae support earlier indications that the morphological diversity of the fossils was in fact larger, yet the results are not as conclusive as in other ingroups of Neuroptera. The comparison also indicates that convergent evolution played an important role in the evolution of larvae of antlion-like lacewings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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15 pages, 7765 KB

Open AccessArticle

Revision of the Tribe Xyelini (Hymenoptera: Xyelidae) and New Fossil Records from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China

by Xiaoqin Li, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn and Jialiang Zhuang

Insects 2025, 16(12), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16121253 - 10 Dec 2025

Viewed by 1118

Abstract

Three new species—Enneoxyela aculeata sp. nov., Enneoxyela eucalla sp. nov., and Hemixyela elongata gen. et sp. nov.—are described and illustrated from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou, Liaoning Province, China. Meanwhile, two new genera are established by the species previously described after re-examination, Tugnuxyela gen. nov. based on T. tugnuica comb. nov. (Rasnitsyn, 1982), from the Lower Jurassic of Transbaikalian in Russia, and Junfengixyela gen. nov. based on J. cenozoica comb. nov. (Zhang, 1989) from the Miocene of Shandong in E. China. This is the first occurrence of the tribe Xyelini in the Cretaceous of China. A male specimen is described for the first time in Mesozoic Xyelini; it is found sufficiently similar to the known (Cenozoic) males of the tribe, including the genitalia twisted for 180°. Keys to the genera of Xyelini and to the species of Enneoxyela are provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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11 pages, 17113 KB

Open AccessArticle

Two New Species of Mesochorista (Insecta, Mecoptera, Permochoristidae) from the Guadalupian Yinping Formation of Chaohu, Eastern China

by Xinneng Lian, Chenyang Cai, Zhuo Feng and Diying Huang

Insects 2025, 16(11), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16111130 - 5 Nov 2025

Viewed by 1276

Abstract

Permochoristidae is a megadiverse mecopteran group that has mainly been reported from Russia and Australia, whereas records from China remain scarce. In this report, two new species of Mesochorista are described and illustrated from the Guadalupian Yinping Formation, Eastern China. Mesochorista tillyardi Lian and Huang, sp. nov. is characterized by the forewing covered with dense oval spots, and Sc₁ closely approximal to R₁ and connected by a short sc-r crossvein. Mesochorista yinpingensis Lian and Huang, sp. nov. is characterized by the forewing covered with dense irregularly colored patches, Sc₁ devoid of expanded area, and M with only five branches. Based on a detailed discussion of the type species and other co-occurring species of Mesochorista and Permochorista, in light of the new insights into Sc₃, we support that Permochorista is a junior synonym of Mesochorista. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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14 pages, 3927 KB

Open AccessArticle

Anaxyelidae of Karatau: 100 Years After

by Dmitry S. Kopylov and Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn

Insects 2025, 16(9), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090943 - 9 Sep 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4694

Abstract

The fossil beds of the Karabastau Formation in southern Kazakhstan, known as the “Jurassic Lake of Karatau”, represent one of the richest Lagerstätten for Jurassic insects, with more than 800 described species. This year marks the centenary of the first fossil insect descriptions from Karatau, published by A.V. Martynov in 1925. Among the most prominent insect groups from this locality are the Anaxyelidae, a relict family of siricoid woodwasps. Here we report the first occurrence of the subfamily Syntexinae in Karatau, based on a newly discovered and described genus and species, Karasyntexis martynovi gen. et sp. nov., from the Galkino locality. This is only the second Jurassic record of Syntexinae globally. We provide a detailed morphological description of the new taxon and compare it with related syntexine genera. In addition, we reassess the current state of the four historically known fossiliferous localities of the Karabastau Formation (Galkino, Mikhailovka, Karabastau, and Chugurchak), all of which were revisited during a 2025 field expedition. A total of 22 anaxyelid species are now known from Karatau, highlighting the site’s exceptional paleodiversity. Our findings suggest that the true diversity of Karatau’s anaxyelids remains significantly underexplored and underscore the importance of renewed paleontological research in this classic locality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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17 pages, 3686 KB

Open AccessArticle

Beauty or the Beast? A Puzzling Modification of the Clypeus and Mandibles on the Eocene Ant

by Dmitry Zharkov, Dmitry Dubovikoff and Evgeny Abakumov

Insects 2025, 16(8), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080794 - 31 Jul 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

Some Cretaceous ants belonging to the stem group of Formicidae exhibit bizarre morphology. This wide range of unusual adaptive features is primarily related to the mouthparts and clypeus. The researchers were perplexed by their specific ecology, as modern ant lineages do not exhibit anything similar. Here, we report and describe a new genus based on an extraordinary and mysterious alate ant from Late Eocene Baltic amber. Undoubtedly, the new ant is classified within the subfamily Formicinae (one of the crown groups), yet it displays a highly specialised morphology and an unusual array of features that are not observed in any extant ant lineages. Neither recent nor extinct ants have such a combination of features. While the exact phylogenetic placement of the new ant remains uncertain, we offer a discussion of its potential affinities based on our constrained phylogenetic analyses. We propose that †Eridanomyrma gen. n. should be considered in the new tribe †Eridanomyrmini trib. n. This new taxon highlights the adaptive diversity of a highly specialised, extinct lineage of Eocene crown-group ants. We also present a 3D model based on X-ray computed microtomography (µCT). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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31 pages, 39485 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Subfossil Insects of the Kebezen Site (Altai Mountains): New Data on the Last Deglaciation Environment

by Anna A. Gurina, Natalia I. Agrikolyanskaya, Roman Yu. Dudko, Yuri E. Mikhailov, Alexander A. Prokin, Sergei V. Reshetnikov, Alexey S. Sazhnev, Alexey Yu. Solodovnikov, Evgenii V. Zinovyev and Andrei A. Legalov

Insects 2025, 16(3), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030321 - 19 Mar 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2675

Abstract

This paper focuses on insect remains found at the Kebezen site (51.93600° N, 87.09665° E) on the Turachak stream, Altai Republic, Russia, in layers ranging in age from 20.1 to 19.3 cal ky BP, corresponding to the onset of the last deglaciation. Coleoptera, represented by 105 species from 21 families, predominate in the sediments, with the families Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Chrysomelidae and Scolytidae being the most numerous. The insect assemblage of Kebezen contrasts sharply with the Late Pleistocene entomofauna of the West Siberian Plain, but it is similar with the assemblages of the geographically close Lebed site (Oldest and Older Dryas). Also, it corresponds well with the modern middle-altitude entomofauna of the mountains of north-eastern Altai. Based on such entomological data, boreal forests with a predominance of Picea and alpine meadows, as well as a cold and humid climate, were reconstructed for the Kebezen site. Changes in the ecological composition of beetles were traced during sedimentation: the most complete spectrum of the basal layer was replaced by a complex with a significant predominance of meadow and water-edge species, after which the proportions of shrub species, bryophilous species, and forest species consistently increased. Such changes correspond to the course of primary succession initiated by a catastrophic factor such as a megaflood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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18 pages, 9886 KB

Open AccessArticle

New Wasps of Maimetshidae (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea) from the Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar Amber

by Longfeng Li, Dmitry S. Kopylov, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn, Jingtao Yang, Chungkun Shih and Dong Ren

Insects 2025, 16(3), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030237 - 23 Feb 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1519

Abstract

One new genus and five new species of the extinct family Maimetshidae from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber are described based on five well-preserved specimens as follows: Maimetshasia nova Li, Kopylov and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov.; Maimetshasia engeli Li, Kopylov and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov.; Guyotemaimetsha perrichoti Li, Kopylov and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov.; Guyotemaimetsha ortegablancoi Li, Kopylov and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov.; and Crucimaimetsha nigra Li, Kopylov and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov. A new generic synonymy is proposed: Turgonalus Rasnitsyn, 1990 (=Turgonaliscus Engel, 2016, syn. nov. and = Ahiromaimetsha Perrichot, Azar, Nel and Engel, 2011, syn. nov.); Guyotemaimetsha Perrichot, Nel and Néraudeau, 2004 (=Burmaimetsha Perrichot, 2013, syn. nov.); Afrapia, Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009 (=Afromaimetsha, Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009, syn. nov.); and Iberomaimetsha nihtmara Ortega-Blanco, Delclòs and Engel, 2011 are transferred to Afrapia, Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009. This results in the following new combinations: Turgonalus cooperi, Rasnitsyn and Jarzembowski, 1998, comb. resurr.; Turgonalus najlae (Perrichot, Azar, Nel & Engel, 2011), comb. nov; Afrapia robusta (Rasnitsyn & Brothers, 2009), comb. nov; and Afrapia nihtmara (Ortega-Blanco, Delclòs & Engel, 2011), comb. nov. The occurrence of various genera of Maimetshidae in amber and compression fossil and the morphological differences of the forewings in all the fossil species are provided, which highlights a high level of genus-level diversity among Mesozoic maimetshids. The key to genera was updated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History)

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