Check Out the Mouthparts on This New Prehistoric Insect
But it was strictly a vegetarian The post Check Out the Mouthparts on This New Prehistoric Insect appeared first on Nautilus .
A newly discovered prehistoric insect, unveiled in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber, showcases extraordinary mouthparts unlike those of any modern insect. The species, named Cretodorus noonoo or "Noo-Noo," is a member of the order Hemiptera and suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Distinctive features include an elongated proboscis, which extends more than twice its body length, with a corrugated structure that prevents kinks in the feeding tube.
This tube likely allowed the insect to pierce the phloem of tree bark, accessing sugary sap deep within. The Noo-Noo's unique feeding mechanism may have evolved due to the thick bark of ancient forests, possibly created by wildfires, as an adaptive response to reach food sources that were otherwise out of reach.
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