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Issue: Vol. 8 No. 4: (In progress) August 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-08-29
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.4.13
Page range: 459-469
Abstract views: 140
PDF downloaded: 13

A new genus of beaded lacewings (Neuroptera, Berothidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, with implications on the evolution of mouthparts and genital sclerites

Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum, 9 Shuanghe Middle Road, Beijing 100023, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Mesozoic Amber Berothidae New genera Mouthparts Neuroptera

Abstract

A new genus, Rhynchoberotha gen. nov. with two new species (Rhynchoberotha zhangae sp. nov. and Rhynchoberotha biyi sp. nov.) of the lacewing family Berothidae from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber are described. The new genus is closely related to Aggregataberotha Wang et al., 2023 and Sejunctaberotha Chen et al., 2024 by having similar forewing venation. Remarkably, the new genus is featured by the presence of a rostrum formed by the elongated chewing-mandibulate mouthparts. Another notable finding refers to the preservation of a mating pair of R. biyi sp. nov., which represents the first record of mating behaviour in fossil Neuroptera. Our new finding highlights the morphological diversity of Berothidae during the Cretaceous, and provides a new insight to the early evolution of mouthparts and genital sclerites.

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