中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所机构知识库

The Mesozoic is considered as the 'golden age' for the diversification of Neuroptera (lacewings), and many unusual lacewing larvae have been discovered in Cretaceous amber. However, little is known about their early evolution because of the rarity of fossils. Herein, we describe a new genus and species, Kuafupolydentes hui gen. et sp. nov., one of the biggest lacewing larvae from the Cretaceous known so far, based on a well-preserved specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (99 Ma). The new larva is characterized by its large size, each stylet with eight short and blunt teeth, robust and long antennae, and long and robust legs with continuous tarsus and tibia and enlarged claws. It can be considered as an early representative of the antlion clade, Myrmeleontiformia. We suggest that the new larva is also an ambush predator like extant antlions, but it might have used a different strategy to kill large prey. Some of the morphological characters of K. hui are unknown in any extant lacewings and suggest a greater morphological disparity of Neuroptera during the Cretaceous.