Open AccessAncient pinnate leaf mimesis among lacewings
Author(s) -
Yongjie Wang,
Zhiqi Liu,
Xin Wang,
Chungkun Shih,
Yunyun Zhao,
Michael S. Engel,
Dong Ren
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.1006460107
Subject(s) - biology , neuroptera , mimicry , nymphalidae , lineage (genetic) , cretaceous , aposematism , predation , fossil record , botany , ecology , predator , zoology , lepidoptera genitalia , paleontology , biochemistry , gene
Insects have evolved diverse methods of predator avoidance, many of which implicate complex adaptations of their wings (e.g., Phylliidae, Nymphalidae, Notodontidae). Among these, angiosperm leaf mimicry is one of the most dramatic, although the historical origins of such modifications are unclear owing to a dearth of paleontological records. Here, we report evidence of pinnate leaf mimesis in two lacewings (Neuroptera):Bellinympha filicifolia Y. Wang, Ren, Liu & Engel gen. et sp. nov. andBellinympha dancei Y. Wang, Ren, Shih & Engel, sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic, representing a 165-million-year-old specialization between insects and contemporaneous gymnosperms of the Cycadales or Bennettitales. Furthermore, such lacewings demonstrate a preangiosperm origin for leaf mimesis, revealing a lost evolutionary scenario of interactions between insects and gymnosperms. The current fossil record suggests that this enigmatic lineage became extinct during the Early Cretaceous, apparently closely correlated with the decline of Cycadales and Bennettitales at that time, and perhaps owing to the changing floral environment resulted from the rise of flowering plants.