Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 2: May–June 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-06-24
DOI: 10.11646/mesozoic.1.2.4
Page range: 125–131
Abstract views: 184
PDF downloaded: 100

Morphological features of the Upper Cretaceous planthopper Mimaeurypterus burmiticus suggest specialization for cryptic camouflage on tree bark

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
fossil Mesozoic Mimaeurypterus burmiticus Myanmar amber planthopper

Abstract

The extinct planthopper family Mimarachnidae is widely known in the Cretaceous of Eurasia. Two new specimens of the monotypic genus Mimaeurypterus Fu & Huang, 2021, from the early Upper Cretaceous of northern Myanmar are described. The intraspecific variation is assessed, and the description supplemented morphology of the head, pronotum, legs, and abdomen is provided. The flattened pronotum and broad forewings are interpreted as adaptations for the reduction of shadows at body margins, thus blurring the body outline of the insect and facilitating crypsis.

References

  1. Bourgoin, T. (2021) FLOW (Fulgoromorpha Lists on the Web): a world knowledge base dedicated to Fulgoromorpha, Version 8, updated: 19 December 2021, available at: https://flow.hemiptera-databases.org/flow/. (Accessed 19 February 2021).
  2. Bourgoin, T. & Szwedo, J. (2008) The ‘cixiid-like’ fossil planthopper families. Bulletin of Insectology, 61, 107–108.
  3. Bourgoin, T., Wang, R., Asche, M., Hoch, H., Soulier-Perkins, A., Stroinski, A., Yap, S. & Szwedo, J. (2015) From micropterism to hyperpterism: recognition strategy and standardized homology-driven terminology of the forewing venation patterns in planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zoomorphology, 134, 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-014-0243-6
  4. Cruickshank, R.D. & Ko, K. (2003) Geology of an amber locality in the Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 21, 441–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1367-9120(02)00044-5
  5. Fu, Y.Z. & Huang, D.Y. (2020) New data on fossil mimarachnids (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Fulgoroidea) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Palaeoentomology, 3 (3), 317–331. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.3.3.12
  6. Fu, Y.Z. & Huang, D.Y. (2021) New mimarachnids in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha). Cretaceous Research, 119, 104682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104682
  7. He, J.H., Jiang, T., Guan, X.E. & Szwedo, J. (2022) A new genus and species of family Mimarachnidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, northern Myanmar. Cretaceous Research, 139, 105308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105308
  8. Jiang, H., Chen, J. & Szwedo, J. (2023) A new Jaculistilus species of Mimarachnidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar, with geometric morphometric analysis of the mimarachnid genera. Cretaceous Research, 141, 105368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105368
  9. Jiang, T., Szwedo, J., Song, Z.S., Chen, J., Li, Y.L. & Jiang, H. (2020) Ayaimatum Trilobatum gen. et sp. nov. of Mimarachnidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from mid-Cretaceous amber of Kachin (northern Myanmar). Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 59, 70–85. https://doi.org/10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2020.01.09
  10. Jiang, T., Szwedo, J. & Wang, B. (2018) A giant fossil Mimarachnidae planthopper from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha). Cretaceous Research, 89, 183–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2018.03.020
  11. Jiang, T., Szwedo, J. & Wang, B. (2019) A unique camouflaged mimarachnid planthopper from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Scientific Reports, 9, 13112. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49414-4
  12. Mao, Y.Y., Liang, K., Su, Y.T., Li, J.G., Rao, X., Zhang, H., Xia, F.Y., Fu, Y.Z., Cai, C.Y. & Huang, D.Y. (2018) Various amberground marine animals on Burmese amber with discussions on its age. Palaeoentomology, 1 (1), 91–103. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.1.1.11
  13. Ross, A.J. (2019) Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography 2018. Palaeoentomology, 2 (1), 22–84. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.2.1.5
  14. Ross, A.J. (2023) Supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography, 2022. Palaeoentomology, 6 (1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.1.6
  15. Shcherbakov, D.E. (2007) Mesozoic spider mimics-Cretaceous Mimarachnidae fam. n. (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Russian Entomological Journal, 16, 259–264.
  16. Shcherbakov, D.E. (2017) First record of Cretaceous family Mimarachnidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) in amber. Russian Entomological Journal, 26, 389–392. https://doi.org/10.15298/rusentj.26.4.12
  17. Shi, G., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M., Lei, W., Li, Q. & Li, X. (2012) Age constraint on Burmese amber based on U-Pb dating of zircons. Cretaceous Research, 37, 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.014
  18. Song, Z.S., Zhang, C.L., Xi, H.Y., Szwedo, J. & Bourgoin, T. (2021) First record of adult Dorytocidae-Dorytocus jiaxiaoae Song, Szwedo & Bourgoin sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Cretaceous Research, 125, 104863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104863
  19. Stevens, M. & Merilaita, S. (2009) Animal camouflage: current issues and new perspectives. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364 (1516), 423–427. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0217
  20. Szwedo, J. & Ansorge, J. (2015) The first Mimarachnidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from Lower Cretaceous lithographic limestones of the Sierra del Montsec in Spain. Cretaceous Research, 52, 390–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.03.001
  21. Szwedo, J., & Stroiński, A. (2017) Who’s that girl? A singular Tropiduchidae planthopper from the Eocene Baltic amber (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Palaeontologia Electronica, 20.3.60A, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.26879/784
  22. Zhang, X., Ren, D. & Yao, Y.Z. (2018) A new genus and species of Mimarachnidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Cretaceous Research, 90, 168–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.012
  23. Zhang, X., Yao, Y.Z., Ren, D., Pang, H. & Chen, H.Y. (2021) New mimarachnids (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Fulgoroidea) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. ZooKeys, 1057, 37–48. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1057.66434