2026 in paleoentomology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This paleoentomology list records new fossil insect taxa that were announced or described during the year 2026, as well as notes other significant paleoentomology discoveries and events which occurred during the year.
Clade Amphiesmenoptera
Lepidopterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Rajaei et al. |
A member of the family Nymphalidae belonging to the subfamily Apaturinae. The type species is A. monikae. |
 | ||||
|
Ogivaluncus[2] |
Fam. et gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Nel et al. |
Eocene |
A possible member of the superfamily Yponomeutoidea; the type genus of the new family Ogivaluncidae. The type species is O. eocenicus. |
|||
Trichopterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Archiphilopotamus sagulicus[3] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Sukatsheva in Sukatsheva, Rasnitsyn & Vasilenko |
Early Jurassic |
A member of the family Philopotamidae. Published online in 2026, but the issue date is listed as December 2025. |
|||
Clade Antliophora
Dipterans
Brachycerans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alavesia belone[4] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Peretti |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Atelestidae. |
||
|
Alavesia hkamtiensis[4] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Peretti |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber |
A member of the family Atelestidae. |
||
|
Chaetosepsis[5] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Grimaldi, Lonsdale & Herhold |
Miocene |
Dominican amber |
A member of the family Sepsidae. The type species is C. caribea. |
||
|
Protapsilocephala[6] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Feng et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Apsilocephalidae. The type species is P. longisetosa. |
||
Nematocerans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Brachypogon europaeus[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
A species of Brachypogon. |
|||
|
Brachypogon oisensis[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Brachypogon. |
||
|
Brachypogon parisiensis[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Brachypogon. |
||
|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Skartveit |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Bibionidae. |
||||
|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Skartveit |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Bibionidae. |
||||
|
Cretolimonia dayana[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć in Kopeć et al. |
Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary |
Glushkovo Formation |
A member of the family Limoniidae. Announced online in 2021;[10] validated in 2026. |
||
|
Cretolimonia lukashevichae[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć & Krzemiński in Kopeć et al. |
Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary |
Dain Formation |
A member of the family Limoniidae. Announced online in 2021;[10] validated in 2026. |
||
|
Cretolimonia mikolajczyki[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć, Krzemiński, Soszyńska in Kopeć et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Limoniidae. Announced online in 2021;[10] validated in 2026. |
||
|
Cretolimonia pseudojurassica[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Krzemiński in Kopeć et al. |
Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary |
Dain Formation |
A member of the family Limoniidae. Announced online in 2021;[10] validated in 2026. |
||
|
Dasyhelea eocenica[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Dasyhelea. |
||
|
Elephantomyia christelae[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kania-Kłosok & Krzemiński in Kopeć et al. |
Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Europe (Baltic Sea region) |
A species of Elephantomyia. Announced online in 2021;[11] validated in 2026. |
|
|
Elephantomyia prima[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kania-Kłosok & Krzemiński in Kopeć et al. |
Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Europe (Baltic Sea region) |
A species of Elephantomyia. Announced online in 2021;[11] validated in 2026. |
|
|
Eosphaeromias[7] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemińska in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A member of the family Ceratopogonidae. The type species is E. eocenicus. |
||
|
Forcipomyia oisensis[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Forcipomyia. |
||
|
Groveriella oisensis[12] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Hébert, Ngô-Muller & Nel |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Groveriella. |
||
|
Leptoconops oisensis[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Leptoconops. |
||
|
Sciara katoi[13] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Aiba & Menzel |
Pleistocene |
Miyajima Formation |
A species of Sciara. |
||
|
Sciara statzi[13] |
Nom. nov |
Valid |
Aiba & Menzel |
Oligocene |
A species of Sciara; a replacement name for Lycoria thoracica Statz (1944). |
|||
|
Simulium oisense[14] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Nel, Hebert & Ngô Muller |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Simulium. |
||
|
Stilobezzia eocenica[7] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Szadziewski, Santer, Nel, & Krzemiński in Szadziewski et al. |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A species of Stilobezzia. |
||
|
Styringomyia caribeana[15] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć et al. |
Miocene (Burdigalian) |
Dominican amber |
A species of Styringomyia. |
||
|
Styringomyia caridadi[15] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć et al. |
Miocene (Burdigalian) |
Dominican amber |
A species of Styringomyia. |
||
|
Styringomyia grimaldii[15] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kopeć et al. |
Miocene (Burdigalian) |
Dominican amber |
A species of Styringomyia. |
||
|
Trichoneura xavieri[9] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kania-Kłosok, Krzemiński, Kopeć & Arillo in Kopeć et al. |
Utrillas Group |
A species of Trichoneura. Announced online in 2021;[16] validated in 2026. |
|||
|
Xenosycorax bouareji[17] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Tabakian, Wang & Azar |
Early Cretaceous (Barremian) |
A member of the family Psychodidae belonging to the subfamily Sycoracinae. |
|||
Dipteran research
- Revision of members of the genus Prohercostomus from the Baltic amber is published by Grichanov (2026).[18]
- Grichanov (2026) reports the discovery of a male of Medeterites latipennis from the Baltic amber, and provides a key to species belonging to the genus Medeterites.[19]
Clade Archaeorthoptera
Orthoptera
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aestuacrida mikronaulion[20] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Aptian) |
Crato Formation |
A member of the family Locustopsidae. |
||
|
Angustisquama[21] |
Gen. et 2 sp. nov |
Valid |
Yuan, Ma & Gu in Yuan et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of Grylloidea belonging to the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is A. bicolorata; genus also includes A. wangruoxii Hu, Chen, Zhuo & He (2026).[22] |
||
|
Argentoelcana[23] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Crato Formation |
A member of the family Elcanidae. Genus includes new species A. intermedia. |
|||
|
Birmanimogoplistes[21] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Yuan, Ma & Gu in Yuan et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is B. acutifolius. |
||
|
Cratomastax[20] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Aptian) |
Crato Formation |
A member of Caelifera belonging to the superfamily Eumastacoidea. The type species is C. mariellaae. |
||
|
Cretoornebius[22] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Hu, Chen & He in Hu et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is C. huzhengkuni Hu, Chen, Zhuo & He. |
||
|
Crinitipes[21] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Yuan, Ma & Gu in Yuan et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is C. calvus. |
||
|
Diamogoplistes[22] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Hu, Chen & He in Hu et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is D. shiruolinae Hu, Chen, Zhuo & He. |
||
|
Ensiferelcana[23] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Crato Formation |
A member of the family Elcanidae. Genus includes new species E. brachyptera. |
|||
|
Gondwanelcana[23] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Crato Formation |
A member of the family Elcanidae. Genus includes new species G. brasiliensis. |
|||
|
Longioculus poinari[24] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall & Husemann |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber or Kachin amber |
A member of the family Elcanidae. |
||
|
Mesembrelcana[23] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Schall et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Crato Formation |
A member of the family Elcanidae; a new genus for "Cratoelcana" rasnitsyni Nel & Jouault. |
|||
|
Monolophomastax[25] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Schall, Bonino & Husemann |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of Eumastacoidea. Genus includes new species M. disantoi. |
|||
|
Comb. nov |
(Martins-Neto) |
Early Cretaceous |
A member of the family Elcanidae; moved from Cratoelcana damianii Martins-Neto (1991). |
|||||
|
Parelcana xena[24] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall & Husemann |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber or Kachin amber |
A member of the family Elcanidae. |
||
|
Probaisselcana venusta[26] |
Sp. nov |
Xu et al. |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Elcanidae. |
|||
|
Protomogoplistes ciliatus[21] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Yuan, Ma & Gu in Yuan et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. |
||
|
Protomogoplistes zhouzixuanae[22] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Hu, Chen, Zhuo & He in Hu et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mogoplistidae. The type species is D. shiruolinae. |
||
|
Pseudopanorpidium inversa[27] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall, Kotthoff & Husemann |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber or Kachin amber |
A member of the family Elcanidae. |
||
|
Qiongqi multispurous[28] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ji et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Trigonidiidae. |
||
|
Sinagryllus huangi[29] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Xu et al. |
Middle Jurassic |
A member of the family Baissogryllidae. First online in 2025, officially published in 2026. |
|||
|
Thagyaminana[27] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Schall, Kotthoff & Husemann |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber or Kachin amber |
A member of the family Elcanidae. The type species is T. atawedeia. |
||
Orthopteran research
- Schall, Kotthoff & Husemann (2026) revise Letoelcana artemisapollonque and Trigonelca jennywinterae, confirming them to be valid taxa, and interpret Paraxelcana coronakanthodis as a junior synonym of Adelphellca zhengi, resulting in a new combination Paraxelcana zhengi.[30]
- Nunes & Carvalho (2026) study the morphology and taphonomy of elcanid fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil), interpret the studied insects as living close to the lake margins, and report possible evidence of camouflage in the studied specimens.[31]
Clade Coleopterida
Coleopterans
Adephaga
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Archaeodyschirius[32] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Molino-Olmedo |
Cretaceous |
A ground beetle belonging to the subfamily Scaritinae and the tribe Dyschiriini. The type species is A. misiae. Published online in 2026, but the issue date is listed as December 2025. |
|||
|
Coptoclava spinosa[33] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lee, Nel & Nam |
Early Cretaceous (Albian) |
A member of the family Coptoclavidae. |
|||
|
Hujia gongi[34] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Xia et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A tiger beetle. |
||
Archostemata
Polyphaga
Bostrichiformia
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ernobius myanmaricus[36] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Háva & Zahradník |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A species of Ernobius. |
||
|
Hirtulus[37] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Háva & Zahradník |
Eocene |
Baltic amber |
A member of the family Ptinidae belonging to the subfamily Dryophilinae. The type species is H. depressus. |
||
|
Poinarinius connexus[38] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lin et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Bostrichidae. |
||
|
Poinarinius zhubajie[38] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lin et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Bostrichidae. |
||
Cucujiformia
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Boninorhinus[39] |
Gen.et sp. nov |
Valid |
Legalov |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Nemonychidae belonging to the subfamily Rhinorhynchinae and the tribe Burmomaceratini. Genus includes new species B. longirostris. |
|||
|
Juramychus[40] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Háva |
Jurassic (Callovian-Oxfordian) |
A member of the family Endomychidae. The type species is J. daohugouensis |
|||
|
Mysteriohelota[41] |
Gen.et sp. nov |
Valid |
Hsiao |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Helotidae. Genus includes new species M. metallicus. |
||
|
Protokateretes ensifer[42] |
Sp. nov |
Zhao, Engel & Cai in Zhao et al. |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Kateretidae. |
||||
|
Tremembasis[43] |
Nom. nov |
Saxton, Schnepp & Powell |
Oligocene |
A member of the family Meloidae; a replacement name for Microbasis Martins-Neto (1998). |
||||
Elateriformia
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cantharis navka[44] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kazantsev & Perkovsky in Kazantsev, Legalov & Perkovsky |
Eocene |
Rovno amber |
A species of Cantharis. |
||
|
Malthinus manukyani[45] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kazantsev & Perkovsky |
Eocene |
Rovno amber |
A soldier beetle, a species of Malthinus. |
||
|
Pagodocerus[46] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Li, Huang & Cai |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of Dryopoidea belonging to the family Mastigocoleidae. The type species is P. volkovitshi. |
||
Scarabaeiformia
Staphyliniformia
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cretobius[48] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Gerke, Yamamoto & Żyła |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A rove beetle belonging to the subfamily Paederinae. The type species is C. fangornis. |
||
|
Menatomium[49] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Jenkins Shaw, Hansen & Solodovnikov |
Paleocene |
A rove beetle belonging to the subfamily Oxytelinae. Genus includes "Oxyporus" impressus Piton (1940). |
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Coleopteran research
- Liu et al. (2026) report the discovery of a specialized Pachyteles-like beetle larva from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, with a morphology interpreted by the authors as suggestive of adaptations to ambush predation strategy and to phragmotic defense.[50]
- Linhart et al. (2026) provide new information on the mouthpart morphology of Partisaniferus edjarzembowskii, and interpret members of the genus Partisaniferus as likely to be larvae of elateroid beetles with affinities with the families Jurasaidae and Cerophytidae.[51]
- Linhart et al. (2026) describe 45 new specimens of soldier beetle larvae from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar and from the Eocene Baltic amber, and find no evidence of a significant loss of morphological diversity of larvae of members of this group throughout its evolutionary history.[52]
- Haug et al. (2026) identify a new morphotype of click beetle larvae from the Cretaceous amber from amber, characterized by long setae on its body.[53]
- Li et al. (2026) revise the affinities of Angimordella burmitina, interpreting it as more likely to be a member of Apotomourinae than a relative of extant pollen-feeding specialists from the subfamily Mordellinae, and interpret its interactions with contemporaneous flowering plants as more likely to be occasional rather than obligate.[54]
- Ferreira et al. (2026) provide new divergence time estimates for bark beetles, and find that different dating methodologies all indicate that the group diversified before the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution.[55]
- Rosas et al. (2026) report the discovery of a diverse assemblage of beetle fossils of probable Neogene age from a new site near the town of Penrose in the Southern Highlands (New South Wales, Australia).[56]
Clade Dictyoptera
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anthracoblattina macucai[57] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lara & Cariglino |
Permian (Cisuralian) |
Arroyo Totoral Formation |
A member of the family Phyloblattidae. |
||
|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Sendi et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A cockroach belonging to the family Corydiidae. Genus includes new species C. elegans. |
||||
|
Habroblattula superposita[59] |
Sp. nov |
Wang et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Shuinan Formation |
A member of the family Blattulidae. |
|||
|
Phoetalia eocenica[60] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Vršanský, Šmídová & Vidlička |
Eocene |
A blaberid cockroach. |
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|
Pinniblatta[58] |
Gen. et 2 sp. nov |
Sendi et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A cockroach belonging to the family Corydiidae. Genus includes new species P. sylvana and P. horvathovae. |
|||
Dictyopteran research
- Ianni et al. (2026) report the discovery of a hindwing of a roachoid belonging to the family Spiloblattinidae from the Carboniferous (Moscovian) strata of the San Giorgio Basin, representing the first fossil insect formally described from Sardinia and the oldest insect fossil from Italy reported to date.[61]
- Redescription of the anatomy of Archimylacris acadica, based on data from a new specimen from the Carboniferous (Moscovian) Sunbury Creek Formation (New Brunswick, Canada), is published by Schneider et al. (2026).[62]
- Rea, Simpson & Wizevich (2026) study a sample of the ichnofossil Eopolis ekdalei from the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation (Utah, United States) preserved with plant, insect and fungal remains interpreted as suggesting that Eopolis ekdalei was produced by termite, as well as suggestive of fungal farming by termites during the Late Jurassic.[63]
- Philippe et al. (2026) report the discovery of termine coprolites in a silicified driftwood piece from the Albian strata from the Valdrôme site (France), and argue that dispersal of termites might have been aided by driftwood carried by the sea as early as the Cretaceous period.[64]
Hymenopterans
Symphyta
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cilioxyela[65] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Li & Wei in Li, Niu & Wei |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Syspastoxyelidae. The type species is C. setosa. |
||
|
Platyotoma[66] |
Gen. et 2 sp. nov |
Zhuang et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Yixian Formation |
A member of the family Blasticotomidae. Genus includes new species P. elongata and P. mirabilis. |
|||
|
Pseudoxyela crassa[66] |
Sp. nov |
Zhuang et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Yixian Formation |
A member of the family Blasticotomidae. |
|||
|
Pseudoxyela lata[66] |
Sp. nov |
Zhuang et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Yixian Formation |
A member of the family Blasticotomidae. |
|||
Apocrita
Apoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Apis antejaponica[67] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Tanaka |
Pliocene |
Kabutoiwa Formation |
A honey bee. |
||
|
Osmia basaltica[67] |
Comb. nov |
Valid |
(Zhang) |
Miocene |
A mason bee; moved from "Dasypoda" basaltica Zhang (1989). |
|||
|
Osmia kabutoiwica[67] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Tanaka |
Pliocene |
Kabutoiwa Formation |
A mason bee. |
||
Apoid research
- A study on the morphology and phylogenetic relationships of extant stingless bees, Proplebeia dominicana and the tribe Melikertini is published by Lepeco & Almeida (2026).[68]
Ceraphronoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alphaspilus[69] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Álvarez-Parra, Azar & Engel |
Early Cretaceous |
Lebanese amber |
A member of the family Megaspilidae. Genus includes new species A. heliades. |
||
Chrysidoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chlorepyris mesocurvus[70] |
Sp. nov |
Jouault, Huang & Azevedo |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Bethylidae belonging to the subfamily Epyrinae. |
|||
|
Gwesped piastrii[70] |
Sp. nov |
Jouault, Huang & Azevedo |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Bethylidae belonging to the subfamily Lancepyrinae. |
|||
|
Nothepyris bardeti[71] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Brazidec |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A member of the family Bethylidae belonging to the subfamily Scleroderminae. |
||
|
Oesiepyris[71] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Brazidec |
Eocene |
Oise amber |
A member of the family Bethylidae belonging to the subfamily Epyrinae. Genus includes new species O. alaphilippei. |
||
Diaprioidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Brazidec & Perrichot |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
|||||
Evanioidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Antevania[73] |
Fam. et gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Peretti |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
The type genus of the new family Antevaniidae. The type species is A. hirsuta. |
||
|
Tichostephanus qinshubao[74] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ge & Tan in Ge, Ren & Tan |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Gasteruptiidae. |
||
|
Tichostephanus yuchijingde[74] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ge & Tan in Ge, Ren & Tan |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Gasteruptiidae. |
||
Formicoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hypoponera electrocacica[75] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Fiorentino et al. |
Miocene |
Dominican amber |
A species of Hypoponera. |
||
|
Paraphaenogaster tanemurai[76] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Aiba & Inose |
Miocene |
Fuzawa Formation |
A member of the subfamily Myrmicinae and the tribe Stenammini. |
||
|
Siinikaponera balana[77] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Varela-Hernández & Guerrero |
Oligocene-Miocene |
An ant belonging to the subfamily Ponerinae. |
|||
Formicoidea research
- De la Fuente & Estrada-Peña (2026) report cases of inclusions of remains of ants and other organisms (other arthropods, plants and a land snail) in pieces of Dominican amber, Baltic amber and Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, providing evidence of coexistence of plants with other organisms (including possible evidence of commensalism, phoresis and parasitism) since the Cretaceous.[78]
- Boudinot et al. (2026) redescribe an ant in Eocene Baltic amber from the collection of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which was identified as specimen of Ctenobethylus C by Mayr 1868. Boudinot et al. interpret the species as a senior synonym of Eldermyrmex exsectus Dubovikoff & Dlussky, 2019, and extrapolate the ants to have been the dominant arborial ant species for Temperate coniferous Eocene forests.[79]
- Zharkov et al. (2026) study the composition of fossil assemblages of several organisms including ants within pieces of the Eocene Baltic amber, and report evidence of distinct interaction clusters of Ctenobethylus goepperti and Lasius schiefferdeckeri, interpreted as likely linked to divergent ecological strategies of the studied ants.[80]
- Radchenko & Ribbecke (2026) report the discovery of a probable soldier of Drymomyrmex fuscipennis from the Eocene Baltic amber, providing evidence of worker caste dimorphism in members of the genus Drymomyrmex, interpret the studied specimen as evidence of phragmotic behavior in Eocene ants, and propose to assign Drymomyrmex to the tribe Lasiini.[81]
Ichneumonoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Xanthopimpla zherikhini[82] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Manukyan, Dubovikoff & Smirnova |
Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Europe (Baltic Sea region) |
A species of Xanthopimpla. Published online in 2026, but the issue date is listed as December 2025. |
|
Stephanoidea
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Myanmarina grandis[83] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Zheng in Wang et al. |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Myanmarinidae. |
||
|
Myanmarina simplex[83] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Zheng in Wang et al. |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Myanmarinidae. |
||
Vespoidea
Other Apocrita
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pangu yehuii[85] |
Sp. nov |
Zhang & Rasnitsyn in Zhang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A basal member of Aculeata belonging to the family Panguidae. |
|||
|
Sinosymphytopterus[86] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Jia, Zhang & Zhang |
Middle Jurassic |
A member of the family Ephialtitidae. Genus includes new species S. ningchengensis. |
||||
|
Symphytopterus rasnitsyni[86] |
Sp. nov |
Jia, Zhang & Zhang |
Middle Jurassic |
Daohugou Beds |
A member of the family Ephialtitidae. |
|||
Clade Neuropterida
Neuropterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Babinoleon[87] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Lu et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
An antlion. The type species is B. jinmingae. |
||
|
Burmobabinskaia jiaxiaoae[88] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lu et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Babinskaiidae. |
||
|
Carentosymphrasites[89] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Jouault, Liu & Perrichot |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
A member of the family Mantispidae belonging to the subfamily Symphrasinae. The type species is C. zhengi. |
|||
|
Cherasisyra[90] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Engel & Peretti |
Cretaceous |
Hkamti amber |
A member of the family Sisyridae. Genus includes new species C. elegans. |
||
|
Heiemantispa[91] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Makarkin & Perkovsky |
Eocene |
Fur Formation |
A member of the family Mantispidae. The type species is H. storozhenkoi. |
||
|
Heteromantispa[92] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Xiang, Chen & Yang in Xiang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mantispidae. The type species is H. polytricha. |
||
|
Parababinskaia weijie[88] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lu et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Babinskaiidae. |
||
|
Quadraticaput[93] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Kong et al. |
Jurassic |
A larval representative of the lacewing superfamily Osmyloidea. The type species is Q. scleroticum. |
|||
|
Tholomantispa[92] |
Gen. et comb. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Xiang, Chen & Yang in Xiang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mantispidae. The type species is "Doratomantispa" zhangzhiqiae Li et al. (2022); genus also includes new species T. quinata. |
||
|
Tribelomantispa[92] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Xiang, Chen & Yang in Xiang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mantispidae. The type species is T. yangjiani. |
||
|
Trimantispa[92] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Xiang, Chen & Yang in Xiang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Mantispidae. The type species is T. poseidoni. |
||
|
Yongling[93] |
Nom. nov |
Valid |
Kong et al. |
Jurassic |
A member of the lacewing superfamily Osmyloidea; a replacement name for Natator Kong et al. (2024). |
|||
Neuropteran research
Clade Palaeoptera
Ephemeropterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bharataganodes[96] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Godunko et al. |
Paleocene or Eocene |
Palana Formation |
A member of the family Teloganodidae; a new genus for "Teloganella" gurhaensis Agnihotri et al. (2020). |
||
|
Chibiphemera[96] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Godunko et al. |
Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Teloganodidae. The type species is C. cretalota. |
||
|
Crehkahtihtengia[97] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Stagg, Jiang, Staniczek & Godunko in Stagg et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Hexagenitidae. The type species is C. dongi. |
||
|
Hexameropsis fehrmannorum[97] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Stagg, Jiang, Staniczek & Godunko in Stagg et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Hexagenitidae. |
||
|
Venusdemilo[98] |
Fam. et gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Chen & Zheng |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A mayfly, the type genus of the new family Venusdemiloidae. The type species is V. venusae. Published online in 2026, but the issue date is listed as December 2025. |
||
Odonatopterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Eopetalia[99] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Schädel & Wedmann |
Eocene |
A dragonfly with affinities with the family Aeshnidae. The type species is E. messelensis. |
|||
|
Labandeiraia burlingameae[100] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Archibald & Cannings |
Eocene (Ypresian) |
A member of the family Eodichromatidae. |
|||
|
Sinoprotolindenia[101] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Wei, Ren, Nel & Wang in Wei et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
Yixian Formation |
A dragonfly belonging to the family Protolindeniidae. Genus includes new species S. zhengi. |
|||
Odonatopteran research
- Archibald et al. (2026) interpret Shundeagrion cheni as a member of Cephalozygoptera belonging to the family Dysagrionidae.[102]
- Huang et al. (2026) report the discovery of a forewing of Aeshna sp. from the strata of the Qaidam Basin (northeastern Tibetan Plateau; China), interpreted as indicative of presence of a warm freshwater ecosystem during the Miocene.[103]
Clade Paraneoptera
Hemipterans
Auchenorrhyncha
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carbonatura[104] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Boderau et al. |
Carboniferous (Moscovian) |
A member of the stem group of Auchenorrhyncha belonging to the new infraorder Protoprosbolomorpha and to the new family Carbonaturidae. The type species is C. oudardi. |
|||
|
Cretolala[105] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Jiang, Boderau, Jouault & Szwedo in Tang et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A planthopper belonging to the family Lalacidae. The type species is C. kachinensis. |
||
|
Dongningus[106] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Zhang, Ning & Zhang in Zhang et al. |
Late Triassic |
Luoquanzhan Formation |
A member of Cicadomorpha belonging to the family Dysmorphoptilidae. The type species is "Prosbolopsites" granulatus Hong & Chang (1993). |
|||
|
Dysmorphoptiloides brunneum[107] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lara & Cariglino |
Late Triassic |
Potrerillos Formation |
A member of the family Dysmorphoptilidae. |
||
|
Dysmorphoptiloides devincenziae[107] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lara & Cariglino |
Late Triassic |
Potrerillos Formation |
A member of the family Dysmorphoptilidae. |
||
|
Eosassula[108] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Simonsen et al. |
Eocene (Ypresian) |
Fur Formation |
A planthopper. The type species is E. szwedoi. Announced in 2025;[109] validated in 2026. |
||
|
Myanmala[110] |
Fam. et gen. et sp. nov |
Chen et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of Cicadomorpha belonging to the superfamily Cercopoidea, the type genus of the new family Myanmalidae. Genus includes new species M. zireni. |
|||
|
Platyclamys[111] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Wang & Bourgoin in Sun, Bourgoin & Wang |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A planthopper belonging to the family Yetkhatidae. Genus includes new species P. angulata. |
||
|
Shuixiuia[112] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Chen et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A member of the family Sinoalidae. Genus includes new species S. yuchenae. |
||
|
Tardivena[111] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Wang & Bourgoin in Sun, Bourgoin & Wang |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A planthopper belonging to the family Yetkhatidae. Genus includes new species T. multiradiata. |
||
|
Techistetlus[113] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Pinedo-Escatel & Iscavel in Pinedo-Escatel et al. |
Pliocene |
A member of the family Clastopteridae. The type species is T. punctocarinatus. |
||||
Heteroptera
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carcinonepa[114] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Haug et al. |
Cretaceous |
Kachin amber |
A possible member of the family Gelastocoridae. The type species is C. libererrantes. |
 | |
|
Cretispongiosus[115] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Zhang, Yao & Liu in Zhang et al. |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Pachynomidae. The type species is C. conservatus. |
|||
|
Daohugoucoris[116] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Dai et al. |
Middle Jurassic |
A member of Pachymeridiidae. The type species is D. punctatus. |
||||
|
Mecocollaris membranosus[117] |
Sp. nov |
Ma, Ren & Yao |
Cretaceous |
A member of the family Nabidae. |
||||
|
Miracorizus parallelinervius[118] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Yang et al. |
Middle Jurassic |
Jiulongshan Formation |
A member of Pentatomomorpha belonging to the family Kobdocoridae. |
||
|
Subtilicoris[116] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Dai et al. |
Middle Jurassic |
A member of Pachymeridiidae. The type species is S. actuarius. |
||||
Sternorrhyncha
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carbopsyllidium[104] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Boderau et al. |
Carboniferous (Moscovian) |
A member of the infraorder Psyllaeformia belonging to the superfamily Protopsyllidioidea and to the family Permopsyllidiidae. The type species is C. minutum. |
|||
Hemipteran research
- Haug et al. (2026) report the discovery of a group of wax-bearing (likely for defensive purposes) immatures of scale insects in a piece of Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar) that also preserved an adult rove beetle and an aphidlion-like larva which might have been predators of scale insects.[119]
- A specimen of Auritibicen cf. flammatus representing the largest well-preserved cicadid fossil reported to date is described from the Pleistocene (Chibanian) Miyajima Formation (Japan) by Aiba & Hayashi (2026).[120]
Permopsocida
- Li et al. (2026) study the wing shape evolution in Permopsocida, reporting evidence of a bottleneck coinciding with the Permian–Triassic extinction event and structural constraints limiting aerodynamic innovation in the aftermath of this extinction, as well as evidence linking changes of morphological diversity of wings of Permopsocida to changes of diversity of gymnosperm plants.[121]
Plecopterans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Heminemoura[122] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Chen |
Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Europe (Baltic Sea region) |
A member of the family Nemouridae. Genus includes new species H. triloba. Published online in 2026, but the issue date is listed as December 2025. |
|
Other insects
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Burmazoros[123] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Kočárek, Kočárková & Kundrata |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of Zoraptera belonging to the family Zorotypidae; a new genus for "Zorotypus" denticulatus Yin, Cai & Huang (2018). |
||
|
Chauliodites qujingensis[124] |
Sp. nov |
Hu, Zheng & Zhang in Hu et al. |
Early Triassic |
Kayitou Formation |
A winged relative of ice crawlers belonging to the family Chaulioditidae. |
|||
|
Cretembia[125] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Liu et al. |
Late Cretaceous |
A member of Embioptera belonging to the family Scelembiidae. Genus includes new species C. longimandibula. |
|||
|
Cretozoros[123] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Kočárek, Kočárková & Kundrata |
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) |
Kachin amber |
A member of Zoraptera belonging to the family Spiralizoridae. The type species is "Zorotypus" acanthothorax Engel & Grimaldi (2002); genus also includes "Zorotypus" pusillus Chen & Su (2019). |
||
|
Electroclothoda[125] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Liu et al. |
Late Cretaceous |
A member of Embioptera belonging to the family Clothodidae. Genus includes new species E. aroliata. |
|||
|
Parasorellembia grandiocula[125] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Liu et al. |
Late Cretaceous |
A member of Embioptera belonging to the family Scelembiidae. |
|||
Other insect research
- A small insect specimen (possibly a larva of a member of Holometabola) with an undifferentiated abdomen including eleven segments, representing a morphology different from all extant insects but similar to hypothesized character set of the ancestral insect form, is described from the Permian strata from the Meisenheim Formation (Saar–Nahe Basin, Germany) by Haug et al. (2026).[126]
- Lai & Huang (2026) report the discovery of a forewing of Sinosepididontus shartegicus from the Jurassic Haifanggou Formation (China), extending known geographical range of the species (originally described from the Shar Teeg Beds in Mongolia) and supporting the biotic link between faunas from the localities preserving its fossils.[127]
General research
- Snelling et al. (2026) argue that diffusive oxygen transport through the tracheolar–muscle system of insects was not a factor constraining the maximum body size of insects throughout their evolutionary history, including the evolution of body size of large extinct insects such as Meganeuropsis permiana.[128]
- Negri & Toledo (2026) review evidence of mutualistic relationships between insects and gymnosperms before the emergence of flowering plants.[129]
- Stahlecker et al. (2026) describe new insect larvae with megalopteran-like morphology from the Triassic strata from Grès à Voltzia (France), from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar and from the Eocene Baltic amber, and interpret the larval "morphotype 4" identified in the study of Baranov et al. (2022)[130] as more likely representing larvae of myxophagan beetles than megalopterans.[131]
- Haug et al. (2026) report the discovery of diverse immature insect specimens from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar preserved with evidence of disruptive coloration in the form of stripes on their legs.[132]
- Kiesmüller et al. (2026) report the discovery of a braconid wasp and the first known silvanid beetle larva preserved within a piece of the Baltic amber.[133]