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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374694
Research Project: Develop Pest Management Technologies and Strategies to Control the Coffee Berry Borer

Location: Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory

Title: A lacewing bug, Paleoanomala aptenus gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Tingidae), in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Author
item POINAR, GEORGE - Oregon State University
item Vega, Fernando

Submitted to: Biosis: Biological Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2020
Publication Date: 6/5/2020
Citation: Poinar, G., Vega, F.E. 2020. A lacewing bug, Paleoanomala aptenus gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Tingidae), in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber . Biosis: Biological Systems. 1(2):65–71.

Interpretive Summary: A new lacewing bug genus and species is described in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The specimen is small, flightless, and has reduced eyes and lack of ocelli. The new morphological and behavior features of the fossil insect adds to the diversity of lacewing bugs.

Technical Abstract: A female lacewing bug in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as Paleoanomala aptenus gen. et sp. nov. (Tingidae: Hemiptera). The new genus is small and flightless with partially fused hemelytra. The dorsum is covered with areoles formed by large dark punctures. The reduced eyes, lack of ocelli, and a rounded body suggest that the specimen lived in a stable, protected habitat. It is proposed that the precursor of Paleoanomala was macropterous with functional wings, however the suture separating the original hemelytra is now partially fused and not capable of separation.