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Issue: Vol. 8 No. 5: October 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-31
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.5.16
Page range: 594-603
Abstract views: 64
PDF downloaded: 3

Two new thorny stick insects (Euphasmatodea) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Euphasmatodea Phasmatodea Echinosomiscinae Cenomanian spines defense

Abstract

Two new species of thorny stick insects are described and figured, belonging to the genus Echinosomiscus Engel, 2016 (Euphasmatodea: Phasmatidae: Echinosomiscinae). Echinosomiscus conicaculeatus sp. nov. and E. longianalis sp. nov. are both from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber and preserve apomorphies of this genus, such as the similar coronal acanthae on the head, a scape with two dorsal thorns, thoracic spines arranged transversely, and tarsomere V longer than the remaining tarsomeres. These two new species have different and distinctive arrangements of acanthae on the head, thorax, and legs relative to E. primoticus Engel & Wang, 2016. Most notably, E. longianalis lacks spines on the abdomen, and tergum X is undivided vs. numerous spines on the abdomen, and tergum X divided into hemitergites in E. primoticus. The discovery of these new specimens broadens the evidence of spines as a defensive mechanism in the mid-Cretaceous forest ecosystems.

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