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Michael S. Engel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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beaded Lacewings neuroptera berothidae in amber from the lower cretaceous of spain
2021Co-Authors: Ricardo Pérez-de La Fuente, Enrique Peñalver, Michael S. EngelAbstract:Abstract Five new beaded Lacewings (Neuroptera: Berothidae) are described from ca. 105 Ma Spanish amber. A new genus and species, Cantabroberotha soplaensis gen. et sp. nov., are erected based on a complete amber specimen from the El Soplao outcrop (Cantabria, northern Spain). Four indeterminate berothids based on incomplete specimens are described from Penacerrada I amber (Burgos, northern Spain). One of these provides a rare instance of an amber fossil being partially preserved as an impression rather than as a complete inclusion. This was the result of the lacewing not fully penetrating into a resin flow, its wings getting caught on the resin surface and leaving an imprint. The preservation of this delicate impression fossil allows us to infer that a low grade transport likely occurred, at least partly, during the biostratinomic phase of the genesis of the Penacerrada I amber deposit, similar to what was inferred for the El Soplao amber deposit. Moreover, one of the incomplete berothid inclusions has an indeterminate, likely immature mesostigmatan mite attached to the proximal part of its hind wing, most parsimoniously resulting from a symbiotic interaction, probably phoresy.
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liverwort mimesis in a cretaceous lacewing larva
2018Co-Authors: Xingyue Liu, Bo Wang, Michael S. Engel, Gongle Shi, Fangyuan XiaAbstract:Summary Camouflage and mimicry are staples among predator-prey interactions, and evolutionary novelties in behavior, anatomy, and physiology that permit such mimesis are rife throughout the biological world [1, 2]. These specializations allow for prey to better evade capture or permit predators to more easily approach their prey, or in some cases, the mimesis can serve both purposes. Despite the importance of mimesis and camouflage in predator-avoidance or hunting strategies, the long-term history of these traits is often obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of Upper Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years old) green lacewing larvae (Chrysopoidea), preserved in amber from northern Myanmar, anatomically modified to mimic coeval liverworts. Chrysopidae are a diverse lineage of Lacewings whose larvae usually camouflage themselves with a uniquely constructed packet of exogenous debris, conveying greater stealth upon them as they hunt prey such as aphids as well as evade their own predators [3, 4]. However, no lacewing larvae today mimic their surroundings. While the anatomy of Phyllochrysa huangi gen. et sp. nov. allowed it to avoid detection, the lack of setae or other anatomical elements for entangling debris as camouflage means its sole defense was its mimicry, and it could have been a stealthy hunter like living and other fossil Chrysopoidea or been an ambush predator aided by its disguise. The present fossils demonstrate a hitherto unknown life-history strategy among these "wolf in sheep's clothing" predators, one that apparently evolved from a camouflaging ancestor but did not persist within the lineage.
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A soil-carrying lacewing larva in Early Cretaceous Lebanese amber
2018Co-Authors: Ricardo Pérez-de La Fuente, Enrique Peñalver, Dany Azar, Michael S. EngelAbstract:Abstract Diverse organisms protect and camouflage themselves using varied materials from their environment. This adaptation and associated behaviours (debris-carrying) are well known in modern green lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), mostly due to the widespread use of these immature insects in pest control. However, the evolutionary history of this successful strategy and related morphological adaptations in the lineage are still far from being understood. Here we describe a novel green lacewing larva, Tyruschrysa melqart gen. et sp. nov., from Early Cretaceous Lebanese amber, carrying a preserved debris packet composed by soil particles entangled among specialised setae of extremely elongate tubular tubercles. The new morphotype has features related to the debris-carrying habit that are unknown from extant or extinct green Lacewings, namely a high number of tubular tubercle pairs on the abdomen and tubular tubercle setae with mushroom-shaped endings that acted as anchoring points for debris. The current finding expands the diversity of exogenous materials used by green lacewing larvae in deep time, and represents the earliest direct evidence of debris-carrying in the lineage described to date. The debris-carrying larval habit likely played a significant role during the initial phases of diversification of green Lacewings
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Evolution of Lacewings and allied orders using anchored phylogenomics (Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera)
2017Co-Authors: Shaun L. Winterton, Alan R. Lemmon, Jessica P. Gillung, Ivonne J. Garzon, Davide Badano, Deon K. Bakkes, Laura C.v. Breitkreuz, Michael S. Engel, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Xingyue LiuAbstract:Analysis of anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) data under a variety of analytical parameters for a broadly representative sample of taxa (136 species representing all extant families) recovered a well-resolved and strongly supported tree for the higher phylogeny of Neuropterida that is highly concordant with previous estimates based on DNA sequence data. Important conclusions include: Megaloptera is sister to Neuroptera; Coniopterygidae is sister to all other Lacewings; Osmylidae, Nevrorthidae and Sisyridae are recovered as a monophyletic Osmyloidea, and Rhachiberothidae and Berothidae were recovered within a paraphyletic Mantispidae. Contrary to previous studies, Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae were not recovered as sister families and morphological similarities between larvae of both families supporting this assumption are reinterpreted as symplesiomorphies. Relationships among myrmeleontoid families are similar to recent studies except Ithonidae are placed as sister to Nymphidae. Notably, Ascalaphidae render Myrmeleontidae paraphyletic, again calling into question the status of Ascalaphidae as a separate family. Using statistical binning of partitioned loci based on a branch-length proxy, we found that the diversity of phylogenetic signal across partitions was minimal from the slowest to the fastest evolving loci and varied little over time. Ancestral character-state reconstruction of the sclerotization of the gular region in the larval head found that although it is present in Coleoptera, Raphidioptera and Megaloptera, it is lost early in lacewing evolution and then regained twice as a nonhomologous gula-like sclerite in distantly related clades. Reconstruction of the ancestral larval habitat also indicates that the ancestral neuropteridan larva was aquatic, regardless of the assumed condition (i.e., aquatic or terrestrial) of the outgroup (Coleopterida).
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early morphological specialization for insect spider associations in mesozoic Lacewings
2016Co-Authors: Xingyue Liu, Shaun L. Winterton, Weiwei Zhang, Laura C.v. Breitkreuz, Michael S. EngelAbstract:Insects exhibit a wide diversity of anatomical specializations in their adult and immature stages associated with particular aspects of their biology. The order Neuroptera (Lacewings, antlions, and their relatives) are a moderately diverse lineage of principally predatory animals, at least in their immature stages, as all have a modified piercing-sucking mandible-maxillary complex that allows them to drain fluids from their prey. As such, the larvae of various groups have evolved unique anatomical and behavioral specializations for approaching and subduing their prey, particularly the green Lacewings (Chrysopidae), where immatures are also adept at camouflage [1-4]. Here we report the discovery of a unique mode of life among mid-Cretaceous mesochrysopids, an early stem group to modern green Lacewings [5-7] exhibiting a combination of morphological modifications in both adults and larvae unknown among living and fossil Neuroptera, even across winged insects. The new mesochrysopids exhibit a uniquely prolonged thorax, elongate legs, and dramatically reduced hind wings in adults, and larvae have extremely elongate, slender legs with pectinate pretarsal claws and lacking trumpet-shaped empodia. The peculiarities of the larvae include features principally found in spider-associated insect groups, implying that these Lacewings were early specialists on web-spinning spiders, either as active predators or kleptoparasites. This reveals a dramatic and ancient degree of ecological refinement in a major lineage of insect predators, for a food resource otherwise not utilized by most Lacewings.
Xingyue Liu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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mining the species diversity of Lacewings new species of the pleasing lacewing genus dilar rambur 1838 neuroptera dilaridae from the oriental region
2021Co-Authors: Horst Aspock, Ulrike Aspock, Xingyue LiuAbstract:The species diversity of insects is extraordinarily rich, but still has been insufficiently explored or underestimated particularly for uncommon groups. The pleasing Lacewings (Dilaridae) are a little known family of Neuroptera with distinct sexually dimorphic antennae. The species diversity of pleasing Lacewings was recently found to be severely underestimated and requires a comprehensive investigation, as well as systematic reviews. Here, we report on 12 new species of the pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur, 1838, from the Oriental region, namely D. forcipatus sp. nov. and D. laoticus sp. nov. from Laos (new country record of Dilar); D. malickyi sp. nov., D. phraenus sp. nov. and D. rauschorum sp. nov. from northern Thailand; D. striatus sp. nov. from northern Vietnam; D. cangyuanensis sp. nov., D. daweishanensis sp. nov., D. nujianganus sp. nov., D. weibaoshanensis sp. nov., D. yucheni sp. nov., and D. zhangweiae sp. nov. from Yunnan and Tibet, both in southwestern China. The new species of Dilar display several types of wing marking patterns, and the morphology of the male genitalia is highly diverse. A comprehensive examination of the species diversity and distribution of Dilar concluded that Yunnan (southwestern China) represents a biogeographic region with high endemism and the richest species diversity. The potential correlation between vertical distribution and geographical latitude in Dilar was also analyzed.
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liverwort mimesis in a cretaceous lacewing larva
2018Co-Authors: Xingyue Liu, Bo Wang, Michael S. Engel, Gongle Shi, Fangyuan XiaAbstract:Summary Camouflage and mimicry are staples among predator-prey interactions, and evolutionary novelties in behavior, anatomy, and physiology that permit such mimesis are rife throughout the biological world [1, 2]. These specializations allow for prey to better evade capture or permit predators to more easily approach their prey, or in some cases, the mimesis can serve both purposes. Despite the importance of mimesis and camouflage in predator-avoidance or hunting strategies, the long-term history of these traits is often obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of Upper Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years old) green lacewing larvae (Chrysopoidea), preserved in amber from northern Myanmar, anatomically modified to mimic coeval liverworts. Chrysopidae are a diverse lineage of Lacewings whose larvae usually camouflage themselves with a uniquely constructed packet of exogenous debris, conveying greater stealth upon them as they hunt prey such as aphids as well as evade their own predators [3, 4]. However, no lacewing larvae today mimic their surroundings. While the anatomy of Phyllochrysa huangi gen. et sp. nov. allowed it to avoid detection, the lack of setae or other anatomical elements for entangling debris as camouflage means its sole defense was its mimicry, and it could have been a stealthy hunter like living and other fossil Chrysopoidea or been an ambush predator aided by its disguise. The present fossils demonstrate a hitherto unknown life-history strategy among these "wolf in sheep's clothing" predators, one that apparently evolved from a camouflaging ancestor but did not persist within the lineage.
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High niche diversity in Mesozoic pollinating Lacewings
2018Co-Authors: Qing Liu, Qingqing Zhang, Xiaoting Zheng, Weiwei Zhang, Jun Chen, Xingyue Liu, Bo WangAbstract:Kalligrammatid Lacewings were among the largest Mesozoic insects. Here, Liu et al. present an assemblage of Mesozoic kalligrammatid Lacewings from amber and compression fossils, highlighting diversity in traits associated with pollination, chemical communication and defense against predators
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Evolution of Lacewings and allied orders using anchored phylogenomics (Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera)
2017Co-Authors: Shaun L. Winterton, Alan R. Lemmon, Jessica P. Gillung, Ivonne J. Garzon, Davide Badano, Deon K. Bakkes, Laura C.v. Breitkreuz, Michael S. Engel, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Xingyue LiuAbstract:Analysis of anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) data under a variety of analytical parameters for a broadly representative sample of taxa (136 species representing all extant families) recovered a well-resolved and strongly supported tree for the higher phylogeny of Neuropterida that is highly concordant with previous estimates based on DNA sequence data. Important conclusions include: Megaloptera is sister to Neuroptera; Coniopterygidae is sister to all other Lacewings; Osmylidae, Nevrorthidae and Sisyridae are recovered as a monophyletic Osmyloidea, and Rhachiberothidae and Berothidae were recovered within a paraphyletic Mantispidae. Contrary to previous studies, Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae were not recovered as sister families and morphological similarities between larvae of both families supporting this assumption are reinterpreted as symplesiomorphies. Relationships among myrmeleontoid families are similar to recent studies except Ithonidae are placed as sister to Nymphidae. Notably, Ascalaphidae render Myrmeleontidae paraphyletic, again calling into question the status of Ascalaphidae as a separate family. Using statistical binning of partitioned loci based on a branch-length proxy, we found that the diversity of phylogenetic signal across partitions was minimal from the slowest to the fastest evolving loci and varied little over time. Ancestral character-state reconstruction of the sclerotization of the gular region in the larval head found that although it is present in Coleoptera, Raphidioptera and Megaloptera, it is lost early in lacewing evolution and then regained twice as a nonhomologous gula-like sclerite in distantly related clades. Reconstruction of the ancestral larval habitat also indicates that the ancestral neuropteridan larva was aquatic, regardless of the assumed condition (i.e., aquatic or terrestrial) of the outgroup (Coleopterida).
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early morphological specialization for insect spider associations in mesozoic Lacewings
2016Co-Authors: Xingyue Liu, Shaun L. Winterton, Weiwei Zhang, Laura C.v. Breitkreuz, Michael S. EngelAbstract:Insects exhibit a wide diversity of anatomical specializations in their adult and immature stages associated with particular aspects of their biology. The order Neuroptera (Lacewings, antlions, and their relatives) are a moderately diverse lineage of principally predatory animals, at least in their immature stages, as all have a modified piercing-sucking mandible-maxillary complex that allows them to drain fluids from their prey. As such, the larvae of various groups have evolved unique anatomical and behavioral specializations for approaching and subduing their prey, particularly the green Lacewings (Chrysopidae), where immatures are also adept at camouflage [1-4]. Here we report the discovery of a unique mode of life among mid-Cretaceous mesochrysopids, an early stem group to modern green Lacewings [5-7] exhibiting a combination of morphological modifications in both adults and larvae unknown among living and fossil Neuroptera, even across winged insects. The new mesochrysopids exhibit a uniquely prolonged thorax, elongate legs, and dramatically reduced hind wings in adults, and larvae have extremely elongate, slender legs with pectinate pretarsal claws and lacking trumpet-shaped empodia. The peculiarities of the larvae include features principally found in spider-associated insect groups, implying that these Lacewings were early specialists on web-spinning spiders, either as active predators or kleptoparasites. This reveals a dramatic and ancient degree of ecological refinement in a major lineage of insect predators, for a food resource otherwise not utilized by most Lacewings.
Miklos Toth - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Phenylacetaldehyde: A chemical attractant for common green Lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea s.l., Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
2020Co-Authors: Miklos Toth, Ferenc Szentkiralyi, András Bozsik, Agostino Letardi, Maria Rosaria Tabilio, Marcello Verdinelli, Pietro Zandigiacomo, Judit Jekisa, István SzarukánAbstract:Keywords. Neuroptera, Chrysopidae, Chrysoperla, green Lacewings, attractant, phenylacetaldehyde Abstract. At five sites in Hungary and Italy, traps baited with phenylacetaldehyde caught significantly higher numbers (10 to 100 times more) of green Lacewings than unbaited traps, which demonstrates that this compound is an attractant. Traps with three bait dispensers usually caught more than those with one dispenser, but the difference was significant only at two out of five test sites. There was no difference in the numbers caught by sticky delta and funnel traps baited with phenylacetaldehyde. However, funnel traps could be adapted to catch living green Lacewings. The vast majority of the specimens belonged to the Chrysoperla carnea spe- cies complex. Ch. carnea sensu lato dominated the catches at all sites. At some sites 3-11% of the insects caught were Ch. lucasina Lacroix. Phenylacetaldehyde-baited traps were attractive to both sexes, but generally more females were caught than males. Funnel traps baited with three dispensers of phenylacetaldehyde caught green lacewing adults throughout the season in Hungary.
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Conspecific and Heterogeneric Lacewings Respond to (Z)-4-Tridecene Identified from Chrysopa formosa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
2018Co-Authors: Sandor Koczor, Ferenc Szentkiralyi, József Vuts, John C. Caulfield, David M. Withall, John A. Pickett, Michael A. Birkett, Miklos TothAbstract:Green Lacewings (Chrysopidae) are predators of soft-bodied pest insects and are among the most important biological control agents in crop protection. Chrysopa spp. are of special importance since, unlike most green lacewing species, adults are also predatory. The current study was undertaken in search of Chrysopa formosa compounds with semiochemical activity. Using coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography (GC-EAG), head and thorax extracts of C. formosa elicited EAG responses to a compound subsequently identified by coupled GC/mass spectrometry, microchemistry, chemical synthesis and GC peak enhancement as ( Z )-4-tridecene. In field experiments, this compound decreased attraction of adult C. formosa to (1 R ,4a S ,7 S ,7a R )-nepetalactol and that of Chrysoperla carnea species-complex to a ternary floral lure, with the inhibitory effect found to be dose-dependent. Our results suggest that ( Z )-4-tridecene may serve as a general warning signal among multiple green lacewing species. Perspectives for potential practical applications are discussed.
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Smells good, feels good: oviposition of Chrysoperla carnea-complex Lacewings can be concentrated locally in the field with a combination of appropriate olfactory and tactile stimuli
2017Co-Authors: Sandor Koczor, Ferenc Szentkiralyi, Zoltán Fekete, Miklos TothAbstract:Larvae of common green Lacewings ( Chrysoperla carnea species-complex) are important generalist predators, and can serve as valuable biological control agents. Since only larvae are predatory, oviposition is of crucial importance. Recently, a ternary floral bait was described, attractive to females that would then lay their eggs in the vicinity of the baits. Earlier studies have shown that females prefer to lay their eggs on spines and hairs of plants. In the present study, we tested whether the number of eggs laid could be increased by combining chemical, visual and tactile stimuli. Common green Lacewings were caught equally well in baited funnel traps covered with white, yellow, fluorescent yellow, light blue or black sheets, showing no preference to any of the colours. In further tests the field effect of the ternary floral bait on the oviposition site choice of common green Lacewings was confirmed, as in the absence of the bait only negligible numbers of eggs were recorded on egg-laying plates. In the presence of the ternary floral bait, Lacewings laid more eggs on spiny than on smooth surfaces. Removal of previously laid eggs did not affect the number of eggs laid afterwards. Our studies demonstrated that by combining the ternary floral bait and an appropriate spiny surface, oviposition of common green Lacewings can be increased and concentrated to a relatively small area. Possible practical applications are discussed.
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Aphid Sex Pheromone Compounds Interfere with Attraction of Common Green Lacewings to Floral Bait
2015Co-Authors: Sandor Koczor, John Anthony Pickett, Ferenc Szentkiralyi, Michael Alexander Birkett, Miklos TothAbstract:Common green Lacewings ( Chrysoperla carnea complex) form a group of generalist predators important for biological control. Several reports show attraction of these insects to plant volatiles, and a highly attractive ternary compound floral bait has been developed. With aphids being a preferred prey of larvae, one might expect these Lacewings to be attracted to aphid semiochemicals, for instance, to aphid sex pheromones, as found for several other green lacewing species. However, in a previous study, we found that traps containing aphid sex pheromone compounds (1 R ,4a S ,7 S ,7a R )-nepetalactol (NEPOH), (4a S ,7 S ,7a R )-nepetalactone (NEPONE), and a ternary floral bait attracted fewer individuals than those containing the ternary floral bait alone. In the present study, possible causes for this effect of NEPOH and NEPONE on trap capture were studied. We established that C. carnea complex catches in traps with a ternary floral lure were not influenced by the presence of Chrysopa formosa individuals in traps (attracted by NEPOH and NEPONE) or by synthetic skatole (a characteristic component of Chrysopa defense secretion). A direct negative effect of NEPOH and NEPONE on attraction of C. carnea complex was found, suggesting active avoidance of these aphid sex pheromone components. This finding is surprising as the larvae of these Lacewings prey preferentially on aphids. Possible mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are discussed.
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manipulation of oviposition and overwintering site choice of common green Lacewings with synthetic lure neuroptera chrysopidae
2015Co-Authors: Sandor Koczor, Ferenc Szentkiralyi, Geir K Knudsen, L Hatleli, Miklos TothAbstract:Common green Lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea species complex) are important predators of several insect pests, particularly aphids. Due to their potential in biological control, several efforts have been made to find means to retain common green lacewing adults or even to increase their numbers at a given site. In the course of field experiments conducted in Hungary and Norway, we tested the effect of a known ternary bait (phenylacetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, acetic acid) on oviposition and overwintering site choice of common green Lacewings. In an orchard in Hungary, overwintering chambers were set up with and without baits. For the experiment on oviposition in Norway, a number of lacewing eggs were compared on trees with and without baits in selected sectors of the canopy. With the ternary bait, more common green Lacewings could be attracted to overwintering chambers, and also significantly more eggs were found in the vicinity of baits than in other selected parts of the canopy, suggesting that this bait has the potential to manipulate both overwintering site choice and oviposition site choice of these important beneficial insects.
Conrad C Labandeira - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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lichen mimesis in mid mesozoic Lacewings
2020Co-Authors: Hui Fang, Conrad C Labandeira, Bingyu Zheng, Dong Ren, Xinli Wei, Jiaxi Liu, Yongjie WangAbstract:Animals mimicking other organisms or using camouflage to deceive predators are vital survival strategies. Modern and fossil insects can simulate diverse objects. Lichens are an ancient symbiosis between a fungus and an alga or a cyanobacterium that sometimes have a plant-like appearance and occasionally are mimicked by modern animals. Nevertheless, lichen models are almost absent in fossil record of mimicry. Here, we provide the earliest fossil evidence of a mimetic relationship between the moth lacewing mimic Lichenipolystoechotes gen. nov. and its co-occurring fossil lichen model Daohugouthallus ciliiferus. We corroborate the lichen affinity of D. ciliiferus and document this mimetic relationship by providing structural similarities and detailed measurements of the mimic's wing and correspondingly the model's thallus. Our discovery of lichen mimesis predates modern lichen-insect associations by 165 million years, indicating that during the mid-Mesozoic, the lichen-insect mimesis system was well established and provided Lacewings with highly honed survival strategies.
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the evolutionary convergence of mid mesozoic Lacewings and cenozoic butterflies
2016Co-Authors: Conrad C Labandeira, Qiang Yang, Jorge A Santiagoblay, Carol L HottonAbstract:Mid-Mesozoic kalligrammatid Lacewings (Neuroptera) entered the fossil record 165 million years ago (Ma) and disappeared 45 Ma later. Extant papilionoid butterflies (Lepidoptera) probably originated 80–70 Ma, long after kalligrammatids became extinct. Although poor preservation of kalligrammatid fossils previously prevented their detailed morphological and ecological characterization, we examine new, well-preserved, kalligrammatid fossils from Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous sites in northeastern China to unravel a surprising array of similar morphological and ecological features in these two, unrelated clades. We used polarized light and epifluorescence photography, SEM imaging, energy dispersive spectrometry and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to examine kalligrammatid fossils and their environment. We mapped the evolution of specific traits onto a kalligrammatid phylogeny and discovered that these extinct Lacewings convergently evolved wing eyespots that possibly contained melanin, and wing scales, elongate tubular proboscides, similar feeding styles, and seed–plant associations, similar to butterflies. Long-proboscid kalligrammatid Lacewings lived in ecosystems with gymnosperm–insect relationships and likely accessed bennettitalean pollination drops and pollen. This system later was replaced by mid-Cretaceous angiosperms and their insect pollinators.
Bo Wang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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High niche diversity in Mesozoic pollinating Lacewings
2018Co-Authors: Xiumei Lu, Qingqing Zhang, Xiaoting Zheng, Weiwei Zhang, Jun Chen, Bo WangAbstract:Niche diversity of pollinating insects plays a vital role in maintaining extant terrestrial ecosystems. A key dimension of pollination niches refers to the insect proboscis length that commonly matches the floral tube length. Here we describe new kalligrammatid Lacewings (an iconic Mesozoic pollinating insect lineage) from late Cretaceous Burmese amber and Mesozoic sediments in China. Kalligrammatids display complex configurations of elongate mouthpart elements consisting of well-developed maxillae, labium and their palps. The mouthpart lengths vary among species, from 0.6 to 18.0 mm, suggesting corresponding variability in the floral tube lengths of Mesozoic plants. With the diversification of pollinating habits, the kalligrammatids presented highly divergent traits related to chemical communication and defence mechanisms. Together with other Mesozoic long-proboscid insects, these fossils not only reveal the high niche diversity of Mesozoic pollinating insects but also highlight the diversity of Mesozoic pollinator-dependent plants prior to the rise of angiosperms. Kalligrammatid Lacewings were among the largest Mesozoic insects. Here, Liu et al. present an assemblage of Mesozoic kalligrammatid Lacewings from amber and compression fossils, highlighting diversity in traits associated with pollination, chemical communication and defense against predators.
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liverwort mimesis in a cretaceous lacewing larva
2018Co-Authors: Xingyue Liu, Bo Wang, Michael S. Engel, Gongle Shi, Fangyuan XiaAbstract:Summary Camouflage and mimicry are staples among predator-prey interactions, and evolutionary novelties in behavior, anatomy, and physiology that permit such mimesis are rife throughout the biological world [1, 2]. These specializations allow for prey to better evade capture or permit predators to more easily approach their prey, or in some cases, the mimesis can serve both purposes. Despite the importance of mimesis and camouflage in predator-avoidance or hunting strategies, the long-term history of these traits is often obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of Upper Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years old) green lacewing larvae (Chrysopoidea), preserved in amber from northern Myanmar, anatomically modified to mimic coeval liverworts. Chrysopidae are a diverse lineage of Lacewings whose larvae usually camouflage themselves with a uniquely constructed packet of exogenous debris, conveying greater stealth upon them as they hunt prey such as aphids as well as evade their own predators [3, 4]. However, no lacewing larvae today mimic their surroundings. While the anatomy of Phyllochrysa huangi gen. et sp. nov. allowed it to avoid detection, the lack of setae or other anatomical elements for entangling debris as camouflage means its sole defense was its mimicry, and it could have been a stealthy hunter like living and other fossil Chrysopoidea or been an ambush predator aided by its disguise. The present fossils demonstrate a hitherto unknown life-history strategy among these "wolf in sheep's clothing" predators, one that apparently evolved from a camouflaging ancestor but did not persist within the lineage.
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High niche diversity in Mesozoic pollinating Lacewings
2018Co-Authors: Qing Liu, Qingqing Zhang, Xiaoting Zheng, Weiwei Zhang, Jun Chen, Xingyue Liu, Bo WangAbstract:Kalligrammatid Lacewings were among the largest Mesozoic insects. Here, Liu et al. present an assemblage of Mesozoic kalligrammatid Lacewings from amber and compression fossils, highlighting diversity in traits associated with pollination, chemical communication and defense against predators
