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Issue: Vol. 5 No. 3: June 2022
Type: Short Communication
Published: 2022-06-23
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.5.3.3
Page range: 222–225
Abstract views: 350
PDF downloaded: 17

Debris-carrying psocodean nymph from Lebanese amber

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; Lebanese University, Faculty of Science II, Natural Sciences Department, Fanar - El-Matn, PO box 26110217, Lebanon; Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France
General

Abstract

Camouflage, or decorating, has been reported in fossilised immatures of different insect groups, notably Neuroptera (Chrysopidae, Nymphidae, and Ascalaphidae), Coleoptera (Chrysomelidae), Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera (Gelastocoridae, Reduviidae), and Psocodea (‘Psocoptera’ or non-parasitic lice) (Pérez-de la Fuente et al., 2012; Wang et al., 2016; Kiesmüller et al., 2021; Xu et al., 2021). Such behaviours allow effective concealment of immatures from predators and/or prey by carrying vegetal debris, soil, dust and, sometimes, arthropod remains on the thorax and/or abdomen.

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