Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 8 No. 5: October 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-31
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.5.13
Page range: 570-577
Abstract views: 116
PDF downloaded: 5

The oldest fossil record of jump tree bug from mid-Cretaceous amber (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae)

School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, 135 Xingangxi Road, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, 135 Xingangxi Road, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Insecta Hemiptera Miridae new tribe Burmese amber the oldest known fossil Isometopinae

Abstract

A new tribe Cretaloxini tribe. nov. of jumping tree bugs is established for the fossil Cretaloxus wanae gen. et sp. nov., a well-preserved specimen from mid-Cretaceous amber. This taxon is classified within the subfamily Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) and represents the oldest fossil record of Isometopinae found so far from northern Myanmar as well as the whole world. High-resolution habitus photographs of the female holotype (Cretaloxus wanae gen. et sp. nov.) are provided. The new species can be placed in Isometopinae by the following characters: the ocelli present and antennal fossa situated below compound eyes. The fossil serves as a critical source of morphological data, offering novel insights for analyzing the phylogenetic relationships within Miridae through external characters. Specifically, this mid-Cretaceous Burmese fossil may preserve an early morphological stage of Isometopinae, offering key evidence for reconstructing the initial diversification of Miridae.

References

  1. Bergroth, E. (1924) On the Isometopidae (Hem. Het.) of North America. Notulae Entomologicae, 4, 3–9.
  2. Cassis, G. & Schuh, R.T. (2012) Systematics, biodiversity, biogeography, and host associations of the Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha). Annual Review of Entomology, 57, 377–404. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-121510-133533
  3. Chen, D., Zeng, Q.S., Yuan, Y., Cui, B.X. & Luo W.G. (2019) Baltic amber or Burmese amber: FTIR studies on amber artifacts of Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed from Nanyang. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 222, 117270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2019.117270
  4. Cobben, R.H. (1978) Evolutionary trends in Heteroptera. Part II. Mouthpart–Structures and feeding strategies. Mededelingen Landbouwhogesch Wageningen, 78, 5–401.
  5. Eubanks, M.D., Styrsky, J.D. & Denno, R.F. (2003) The evolution of omnivory in heteropteran insects. Ecology, 84 (10), 2549–2556. https://doi.org/10.1890/02-0396
  6. Fieber, F.X. (1860) Exegesen in Hemiptera. Wiener Entomologische Monatschrift, 4, 257–272.
  7. Gossner, M.M. & Damken, C. (2018) Diversity and ecology of saproxylic Hemiptera. In: Ulyshen, M.D. (Ed.), Saproxylic insects: diversity, ecology and conservation. Springer, Heidelberg, pp. 263–317. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75937-1_9
  8. Hahn, C. W. (1833) Die Wanzenartigen Insecten (Vol. 2). C.H. Zeh’sche Buchhandlung, Nürnberg, 142 pp.
  9. Henry, T.J. (1977) Teratodia Bergroth, new synonym of Diphleps Bergroth, with descriptions of two new species (Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae). Florida Entomologist, 60, 201–210. https://doi.org/10.2307/3493907
  10. Herczek, A. (1993) Systematic Position of Isometopinae Fieb. (Miridae, Heteroptera) and their interrelationships. Prace Naukowe Uniw Śląskiego, Katowice, 1357, 1–86.
  11. Herczek, A., Gorczyca, J. & Taszakowski, A. (2018) Sulawesimetopus henryi, a new genus and species of Isometopinae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae) from Sulawesi. ZooKeys, 796, 147–161. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.796.21273
  12. Herczek, A. & Popov, Y.A. (2014) Revision of the genus Metoisops (Hemiptera: Heteroptera, Miridae, Isometopinae) from late Eocene European amber. Zootaxa, 3887 (4), 401–421. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3887.4.1
  13. Hill, L. (2017) Migration of green mirid, Creontiades dilutus (Stål) and residence of potato bug, Closterotomus norwegicus (Gmelin) in Tasmania (Hemiptera: Miridae: Mirinae: Mirini). Crop Protection, 96, 211–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2017.02.006
  14. Hosseini, R. (2017) A new species of Isometopus from Iran (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 57 (1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1515/aemnp-2017-0055
  15. Jung, S. & Lee, S. (2012) Molecular phylogeny of the plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) and the evolution of feeding habits. Cladistics, 28, 50–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2011.00365.x
  16. Kim, J. & Jung, S. (2016) Taxonomic review of the genus Isometopus (Hemiptera: Miridae: Isometopinae) from the Korean Peninsula, with description of a new species. Zootaxa, 4137 (1), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4137.1.11
  17. Kim, J. & Jung, S. (2019) Phylogeny of the plant bug subfamily Mirinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha: Miridae) based on total evidence analysis. Systematic Entomology, 44, 686–698. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12348
  18. Kim, J. & Jung, S. (2021) A new species of extinct genus Electromyiomma Popov & Herczek (Hemiptera: Miridae: Isometopinae) from Eocene Baltic amber, with the key to Electromyiomma species. Zootaxa, 4927 (2), 289–293. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4927.2.9
  19. Kim, J., Lim, J. & Jung, S. (2019) A taxonomic review of the fungal-inhabiting plant bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae) from the Korean Peninsula. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 12, 249–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2019.01.006
  20. Kim, J., Lim, H.S. & Jung, S. (2021) A first member of bamboo-feeding lineage plant bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mecistoscelini) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Cretaceous Research, 121, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104741
  21. Kim, J., Taszakowski, A., Herczek, A. & Jung, S. (2021) Gigantometopus coronobtectus sp. nov., the first Isometopine (Hemiptera: Cimicomorpha: Miridae) from Vietnam. Zootaxa, 4990 (1), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4990.1.6
  22. Kim, J., Taszakowski, A., Herczek, A., Zmarzły, M. & Jung, S. (2023) New species of mirid insects and their importance for the higher classification of plant bugs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 68 (1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00991.2022
  23. Latreille, P. A. (1810) Considérations générales sur l’ordre naturel des animaux composant les classes des crustacès, des arachnides, et des insectes: avec un tableau méthodique de leurs genres, disposés en familles. F. Schoell, Paris, 460 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.34917
  24. Leston, D., Pendergrast, J.G. & Southwood, T.R.E. (1954) Classification of the terrestrial Heteroptera (Geocorisae). Nature, 174 (4419), 91–92. https://doi.org/10.1038/174091b0
  25. Lin, C.S. (2005) New or little-known Isometopinae from Taiwan (Hemiptera: Miridae) from Taiwan. Formosan Entomology, 25, 195–201.
  26. Linnaeus, C.V. (1758) Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae. Secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio, 1 (10), 823. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542
  27. Namyatova, A.A. & Cassis, G. (2016) Review of the seven new species of Isometopinae (Heteroptera: Miridae) in Australia and discussion of distribution and host plant associations of the subfamily on a worldwide basis. Austral Entomology, 55, 392–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12202
  28. Oh, M., Kim, S. & Lee, S. (2023) Revisiting the phylogeny of the family Miridae (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha), with updated insights into its origin and life history evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 184, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107796
  29. Poinar, G.O. Jr. (2010) Palaeoecological perspectives in Dominican amber. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 46 (1-2), 23–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2010.10697637
  30. Popov, Y.A. & Herczek, A. (1998) Plant bugs from the Late Cretaceous of the North-eastern Siberia (Heteroptera, Miridae). Acta Biologica Silesiana, 32, 38–49.
  31. Ross, A.J. (2024) Complete checklist of Burmese (Myanmar) amber taxa 2023. Mesozoic, 1 (1), 21–57. https://doi.org/10.11646/mesozoic.1.1.4
  32. Schuh, R.T. (1974) The Orthotylinae and Phylinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) of South Africa with a phylogenetic analysis of the ant-mimetic tribes of the two subfamilies for the world. Entomology Americana, 47, 1–332.
  33. Schuh, R.T. (1976) Pretarsal structure in the Miridae (Hemiptera) with a cladistic analysis of relationships within the family. American Museum Novitiates, 2601, 1–39.
  34. Schuh, R.T. (1995) Plant bugs of the world (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) systematic catalog, distributions, host list, and bibliography. New York Entomological Society, I–XII, 1–1329.
  35. Schuh, R.T. (2013) On-line systematic catalog of plant bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae). Available from: http://research.amnh.org/pbi/catalog (Accessed 4 March 2022).
  36. Schuh, R.T. & Slater, J.A. (1995) True bugs of the world (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): classification and natural history. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 192 pp.
  37. Schuh, R.T. & Weirauch, C. (2020) True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): Classification and natural history (2nd Edn). Siri Scientific Press, Manchester, 393 pp.
  38. Schuh, R.T., Weirauch, C. & Wheeler, W.C. (2009) Phylogenetic relationships within the Cimicomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): a total-evidence analysis. Systematic Entomology, 34, 15–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2008.00436.x
  39. Shi, G.H., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M.C., Lei, W.Y., Li, 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
  40. Taszakowski, A., Kim, J., Bugaj-Nawrocka, A. & Jung, S. (2023) Thirty years of progress in research on jumping tree bugs and the World checklist of Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae). Zootaxa, 5382 (1), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5382.1.19
  41. Taszakowski, A., Kim, J., Maslowski, A., Herczek, A. & Jung, S. (2022) Kohnometopus yasunagai sp. nov., (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae, Isometopinae) from Peninsular Malaysia. Zootaxa, 5141 (2), 183–191. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5141.2.6
  42. Totin, F.A., Togbé, D.R., Sinzogan, A. & Karlsson, M.F. (2023) Interactions between the omnivorous bug Nesidiocoris tenuis (Heteroptera: Miridae) and the tomato pests Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): predation, phytophagy, and prey preference. Journal of Insect Science, 23 (4), 6, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iead056
  43. Wang, Y., Shi, G.H., Shi, W. & Wu, R.H. (2015) Infrared spectral characteristics of ambers from three main sources (Baltic, Dominica and Burma). Guang pu xue yu guang pu fen xi=Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis, 35 (8), 2164‒2169. [In Chinese with English abstract]. https://doi.org/10.3964/j.issn.1000-0593(2015)08-2164-06
  44. Wheeler, A.G. (2001) Biology of the plant bugs: Pests, predators, opportunists. Cornell University, New York, 528 pp.
  45. Wolski, A. (2021) Revised classification of the New World Cylapini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae): taxonomic review of the genera Cylapinus, Cylapoides and Peltidocylapus and a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of tribe Cylapini. Zootaxa, 5074 (1), 1–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5074.1.1
  46. Yasunaga, T. & Hayashi, M. (2002) New or little known Isometopine plant bugs from Japan (Heteroptera: Miridae). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, 145, 95–101. https://doi.org/10.1163/22119434-900000103
  47. Yasunaga, T., Yamada, K. & Tsai, J.F. (2017) Taxonomic review of the plant bug subfamily Isometopinae for Taiwan and Japanese Southwest Islands, with descriptions of new taxa (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae). Zootaxa, 4365 (4), 421–439. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4365.4.3
  48. Ye, F., Petr, K., Dávid, R., Luo, J.Y., Wang, Y.H., Kuechler, S.M., Zhang, W.W., Chen, P.P., Wu, H.Y., Wu, Y.Z., Sun, X.Y., Ding, L., Wang, Y.R. & Xie, Q. (2022) Diversification of the phytophagous lineages of true bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) shortly after that of the flowering plants. Cladistics, 38 (4), 403–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12501
  49. Yeshwanth, H.M. & Chérot, F. (2019) The Indian Mecistoscelini (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Mirinae): A preliminary review. Zootaxa, 4711 (1), 157–174. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4711.1.6
  50. Yeshwanth, H.M., Chérot, F. & Henry, T.J. (2021) The Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of India and Sri Lanka: A review of the subfamily, with descriptions of six new species. Zootaxa, 4903 (2), 151–193. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4903.2.1