A fossil biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from early Eocene Indian amber with a complex pheromone evaporator

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Abstract

The life-like fidelity of organisms captured in amber is unique among all kinds of fossilization and represents an invaluable source for different fields of palaeontological and biological research. One of the most challenging aspects in amber research is the study of traits related to behaviour. Here, indirect evidence for pheromone-mediated mating behaviour is recorded from a biting midge (Ceratopogonidae) in 54 million-year-old Indian amber. Camptopterohelea odora n. sp. exhibits a complex, pocket shaped structure on the wings, which resembles the wing folds of certain moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and scent organs that are only known from butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) so far. Our studies suggests that pheromone releasing structures on the wings have evolved independently in biting midges and might be much more widespread in fossil as well as modern insects than known so far.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Sci Rep

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Sci Rep

Title: Scientific Reports

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

ISSN (Electronic): 2045-2322

Publication date (Electronic): 04 October 2016

Publication date Collection: 2016

Volume: 6

Affiliations

[1 ]Steinmann-Institut, Abteilung Paläontologie , Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany

[2 ]University of Gdańsk, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology , Wita Stwosza 59, 80- 308 Gdańsk, Poland

[3 ]Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Zentrum für Molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung , Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany

[4 ]Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences , 53 University Road, Lucknow, India

[5 ]Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institut für Werkstoffforschung , Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany

[6 ]University Museum of Bergen, Department of Natural History, P.O. Box 7800, University of Bergen , 5040 Bergen, Norway

[7 ]Universität Kassel, Institut für Biologie, Fachgebiet Limnologie , Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel-Oberzwehren, Germany

Author notes

[a ] frauke.stebner@ 123456uni-bonn.de

Article

Publisher Item ID: srep34352

DOI: 10.1038/srep34352

PMC ID: 5048152

PubMed ID: 27698490

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