Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5396 No. 1: 29 Dec. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-12-29
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.12
Page range: 64-73
Abstract views: 142
PDF downloaded: 9

A new genus of japygids (Diplura: Japygidae) in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
Diplura fossil Hexapoda taxonomy Burmese amber

Abstract

Diplura is a cryptic and edaphic group of hexapod animals characterized by the presence of filiform or pincer-like cerci located at the end of the abdomen. As one of the early diverging lineages of Hexapoda, diplurans play a crucial role in unraveling the origin of the hyperdiverse insects. The fossil record of diplurans, however, is exceptionally limited due to their delicate bodies and habitat requirements. Here we report the discovery of a new japygid, Cretojapyx huangi gen. et sp. nov., entombed in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (northern Myanmar). This specimen exhibits distinctive features, including the well-developed carinae on abdominal segment X and cerci, left cercus lacking a prominent tooth and denticles, and right cercus with a postmedian tooth followed by uniseriate round denticles. Our finding provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the evolutionary history of this ancient lineage and deepen our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic.

 

References

  1. Barlet, J. & Carpentier, F. (1962) Le thorax des Japygides. Bulletin et Annales de la Société royale d’Entomologie de Belgique, 8, 95−127.
  2. Bitsch, J. (1994) Te mophological groundplan of Hexapoda: critical review of recent concepts. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 30, 103–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/21686351.1994.12278837
  3. Börner, C. (1904) Zur systematik der hexapoden. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 27 (16–17), 511–533.
  4. Cai, C.Y. & Huang, D.Y. (2014) The oldest micropepline beetle from Cretaceous Burmese amber and its phylogenetic implications (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Naturwissenschaften, 101, 813–817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-014-1221-z
  5. Condé, B. & Pagés, J. (1991) Diplura. In: CSIRO (Ed.), The insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, pp. 269–271.
  6. Ewing, H.E. & Fox, I. (1942) New Neotropical insects of the apterygotan family Japygidae. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 92 (3151), 291–299. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.92-3151.291
  7. Fu, Y.Z., Li Y.D., Su Y.T., Cai C.Y. & Huang D.Y. (2021) Application of confocal laser scanning microscopy to the study of amber bioinclusions. Palaeoentomology, 4 (3), 266–278. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.3.14
  8. García-Gómez, A. (2010) Nueva especie de Ctenjapyx (Diplura: Dicellurata: Evalljapygidae) de Chamela, Jalisco, México. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 47, 131–134.
  9. González, R. (1964) Japygoidea de Sud América, 6: Revisión de la familia Dinjapigidae (Womersley, 1939). Acta Zoologica Lilloana, 20, 113–128.
  10. Haliday, A.H. (1864) Iapyx, a new genus of insects belonging to the strips Thysanura, in the order Neuroptera. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 24, 441–447. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1863.tb00166.x
  11. Koch, M. (2009) Diplura. In: Resh V.H. & Cardé R.T. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Insects 2nd Ed. Academic press/Elsevier Science, New York/Amsterdam, pp. 281–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00084-9
  12. Kristensen, N. (1995) Forty years insect phylogenetic systematics. Hennig’s ‘Kritische Bemerkungen…’ and subsequent developments. Zoologische Beiträge NF, 36, 83–124.
  13. Kukalová-Peck, J. (1987) New Carboniferous Diplura, Monura, and Tysanura, the hexapod ground plan, and the role of thoracic side lobes in the origin of wings (Insecta). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 65, 2327–2345. https://doi.org/10.1139/z87-352
  14. Kutscher, M. (2021) Der Bernstein und Wilhelm Busch. In: Kulturring in Berlin e.V. Kulturbund Treptow, Fossilien & Geschiebe. Fachgruppe Paläontologie am Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Berlin, pp. 11–19.
  15. Li, Y.D., Ślipiński, A., Huang, D.Y. & Cai, C.Y. (2023) New fossils of Sphaeriusidae from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber revealed by confocal microscopy (Coleoptera: Myxophaga). Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 901573. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.901573
  16. Luan, Y.X., Mallatt, J.M., Xie, R.D., Yang, Y.M. & Yin, W.Y. (2005) The phylogenetic positions of three basal-hexapod groups (Protura, Diplura, and Collembola) based on ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 22 (7), 1579–1592. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msi148
  17. Luan, Y.X., Yao, Y.G., Xie, R.D., Yang, Y.M., Zhang, Y.P. & Yin, W.Y. (2004) Analysis of 18S rRNA gene of Octostigma sinensis (Projapygoidea: Octostigmatidae) supports the monophyly of Diplura. Pedobiologia, 48 (5–6), 453–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2004.06.005
  18. 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 amber ground marine animals on Burmese amber with discussion on its age. Palaeoentomology, 1 (1), 91–103. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.1.1.11
  19. Muegge, M.A. & Bernard, E.C. (1990) Two new species of Metajapyx (Diplura: Japygidae) from Tennessee. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 92 (4), 793−801.
  20. Paclt, J. (1957) Diplura. In: Wytsman, P. (Ed.), Genera Insectorum, fascicle 212. Mercurius, Antwerpen, pp. 1–123.
  21. Pagés, J. (1953) Japyginae (Japygidae, Insecta, Diplura) de la Yougoslavie et des régions limitrophes. Bulletin du Muséum d’Histoire naturelle du Pays serbe Série B, (5–6), 235−264.
  22. Pagés, J. (1959) Remarques sur la classifcation des diploures. Travaux du Laboratoire de Zoologie et de la Station aquicole Grimaldi de la Faculté des Sciences de Dijon, 26, 1–25.
  23. Pagés, J. (1984) Dicellurata Genavensia XIII. Japygidés du Sud-Est asiatique. Nº 4. Revue suisse de Zoologie, 91 (1–2), 329−368. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.81883
  24. Pierce, W.D. (1950) Fossil arthropods from Onyx Marble. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, 49,101–104.
  25. Pierce, W.D. (1951) Fossil arthropods from Onyx-Marble. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, 50, 34–49.
  26. Poinar, G.O. (1992) Life in amber. Stanford University Press, California, 350 pp. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503623545
  27. Sánchez-García, A., Sendra, A., Davis, S. & Grimaldi, D.A. (2023a) Fossil diversity in ‘dawn’ hexapods (Diplura: Projapygoidea), with direct evidence for being chemically predaceous in the Cretaceous. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 198, 847–870. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac101
  28. Sánchez-García, A., Sendra, A., Davis, S.R. & Grimaldi, D.A. (2023b) ‘Dawn’ hexapods in Cenozoic ambers (Diplura: Campodeoidea). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlad118. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad118
  29. Sendra, A., Jiménez‐Valverde, A., Selfa, J. & Reboleira, A.S.P. (2021) Diversity, ecology, distribution and biogeography of Diplura. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14 (4), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12480
  30. Sendra, A., Sánchez-García, A., Hoch, H., Jiménez-Valverde, A., Selfa, J., Moutaouakil, S., du Preez, G., Millar, R. & Ferreira, R.L. (2023) Life in darkness: an overview of cave-adapted japygids (Hexapoda, Diplura). European Journal of Taxonomy, 894, 1–54. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.894.2287
  31. Shi, G.H., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M.C., Li, W.Y., Liu, Q.L. & Li, X.H. (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
  32. Silvestri, F. (1912) Die Thysanuren des baltischen Bernstein. Schriften der Physikalischökonomischen Gesellschaft, 53, 42–66.
  33. Silvestri, F. (1929) Description d’un nouveau genre de Japygidae [Thysanura] du Sahara Central. Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 34 (15), 245–248. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.1929.28188
  34. Silvestri, F. (1948) Contributo alla conoscenza degli Japygidae (Insecta Diplura). Italian Journal of Zoology, 15 (1–3), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250004809440054
  35. Smith, L.M. & Gonzalez, R.H. (1964) Japygidae of South America 4: The Genus Austrjapyx and Descriptions of New Species. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 57 (2), 159–164. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/57.2.159
  36. Smith, L.M. (1962) Japygidae of South America 3: Japygidae of Chile. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 75, 273–292.
  37. Tihelka, E., Cai, C.Y., Giacomelli, M., Lozano-Fernandez, J., Rota-Stabelli, O., Huang, D.Y., Engel, M.S., Donoghue, P.C. & Pisani, D. (2021) The evolution of insect biodiversity. Current Biology, 31 (19), R1299–R1311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.057
  38. Verhoeff, K.W. (1923) Zur Kenntnis der Japygiden. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 1, 33–40.
  39. Weitschat, W. &Wichard, W. (2010) Baltic amber. In: Penney, D. (Ed.), Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester, pp. 80–115.
  40. Wilson, H.M. & Martill, D.M. (2001) A new japygid dipluran from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil. Palaeontology, 44, 1025–1031. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4983.00213
  41. Xia, F.Y., Yang, G.D., Zhang, Q.Q., Shi, G.L. & Wang B. (2015) Amber—lives through time and space. Science Press, Beijing, 197 pp. [in Chinese]
  42. Yin, Z.W., Cai, C.Y. & Huang, D.Y. (2018) Last major gap in scydmaenine evolution filled (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Cretaceous Research, 84, 62–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2017.10.026
  43. Zhang, W.W. (2017) Frozen Dimensions. The fossil insects and other invertebrates in amber. Chongqing University Press, Chongqing, 728 pp. [in Chinese]