[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Paleoanomala decapitata • A New lace bug from Lower Cretaceous Spanish Amber informs the Evolution of Forewing Venation in Tingidae (Hemiptera: Miroidea)

Paleoanomala decapitata 

 Davranoglou, Fabrikant, Peñalver, Pérez-de la Fuente, Álvarez-Parra & Delclòs, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70107 

 x.com/ThePalAss 

Abstract

A new lace bug, Paleoanomala decapitata sp. nov. (Tingidae, Tingiometrinae), is described from Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) amber of Peñacerrada I (Burgos, Spain). The genus Paleoanomala was previously known only from Cenomanian Kachin amber of Myanmar, and the discovery of this new species significantly expands its palaeogeographical range as well as the known diversity of lace bugs from Spanish amber deposits. Furthermore, the description of the new species urged us to undertake a reinterpretation of forewing venation in early lace bugs, finding nearly identical venation patterns in the extinct genera Paleoanomala and Tingiometra (Tingiometrinae), and Hispanocader (Hispanocaderidae). Based on this revised interpretation and other shared morphological characters, the extinct tingid subfamily Tingiometrinae and the family Hispanocaderidae are synonymized with Ebboidae, which is here treated as the subfamily Ebboinae stat. nov. within Tingidae. Additionally, Paleoanomala aptenus Poinar & Vega is recognized as a junior synonym of Tingiometra yuripopovi Golub & Heiss, and the latter species is transferred to Paleoanomala as Paleoanomala yuripopovi comb. nov. The affinities of the male paratype previously assigned to this species remain uncertain and it is tentatively treated as Ebboinae indet. Finally, a synthesis of the palaeobiogeographical affinities of arthropods from Cretaceous Spanish amber suggests extensive faunal connections between Iberia, Myanmar and the Middle East during the Early Cretaceous, reflecting the widespread distribution of resiniferous forest ecosystems across Laurasia.

Keywords: Heteroptera, Tingidae, lace bug, fossil, Cretaceous amber, Iberia

Paleoanomala decapitata sp. nov. 

 Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, Dolev Fabrikant, Enrique Peñalver, Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente, Sergio Álvarez-Parra and Xavier Delclòs. 2026. A New lace bug from Lower Cretaceous Spanish Amber informs the Evolution of Forewing Venation in Tingidae (Hemiptera, Miroidea). 

Papers in Palaeontology.  DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70107 [29 June 2026] 

x.com/ThePalAss/status/2071649975742681465 

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Cretolala kachinensis (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacoidea) • the First lalacid from mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber: Morphological and Taphonomic Implications

Cretolala kachinensis 

Tang, ŠMÍDOVÁ, Ding, BODERAU, Fabrikant, Mähler, Deng, Nyunt, Fu, Jouault, Tomaschek, Szwedo & Jiang, 2026

 

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.9.2.5

Abstract 

We report Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov., the first formally described representative of the family Lalacidae from mid-Cretaceous (~99 Ma) Kachin amber. The morphology and taphonomy of the specimen were studied using optical microscopy, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM‒EDS). Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov. exhibits a unique combination of forewing characters, including a strengthened, broad, and wrinkled costal margin; ScP+R fork proximal to both the Pcu+A1 fusion and the CuA fork; MP with five terminals; and CuA1 and CuA2 each with two terminals. Crossvein patterns differ between the left and right forewings, indicating that crossvein expression alone is not diagnostic. The forewing bears distinct maculation, with a face-like pattern dorsally and an extensive lateral pattern that may indicate aposematism, mimicry, or plant-like camouflage in an arboreal herbivore. Taphonomic analyses based on optical micrographs and material-dependent X-ray attenuation in micro-CT show that minerals are distributed throughout the fossil, coating anatomical surfaces and infilling pre-existing cavities and voids. These phases help stabilize morphology and influence the micro-CT reconstruction of soft-bodied structures. SEM–EDS analyses indicate that the body-coating and void-filling minerals are dominated by quartz and pyrite, with feldspars and aluminosilicate mixtures also present, locally enriched in K, Na, Mg, or Ca. This assemblage and its textures point to a polyphase paragenetic sequence, with early detrital infill and later authigenic mineralization. Our results suggest that minerals and some chemicals derived from the host sediments can be transported into and, in some cases, precipitated within amber inclusions, infilling voids and providing structural support that influences fossil preservation. Collectively, these phases occlude porosity, stabilize morphology, and enhance X-ray contrast, although they locally obscured primary tissue boundaries. Our results highlight multistage diagenesis in Kachin amber and underscore variability among inclusions in both mineral assemblages and the timing of mineralization/diagenetic events.

Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Delphacoidea, Mesozoic, Burmese amber, Planthopper, taxonomy, taphonomy, mineral infilling, wing maculation

Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov., holotype (HMJ–2016–019).
A–D, Reflected-light micrographs. A, Right lateral view. B, Left lateral view. C, Dorsal view. D, Ventral view. E, F, Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) reconstructions. E, Dorsal view. F, Ventral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Systematic palaeontology

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758

Suborder Fulgoromorpha Evans, 1946

Superfamily Delphacoidea Leach, 1815

Family Lalacidae Hamilton, 1990

Cretolala Jiang, Boderau, Jouault & Szwedo gen. nov.

  

Etymology. The generic name is formed from the combination of “Cretaceous” and generic name “Lalax”; the latter is derived from the Greek λάλαξ (“croaker”, “caller”), in reference to a lalacid planthopper from the Cretaceous. Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis (provisional, pending confirmation from additional specimens and in combination with specieslevel diagnostic characters). Tegmen with narrow base and distinctly widened apical portion; costal margin strengthened, broad and wrinkled. Pc+CP shifted away from anterior margin near tegmen base, parallel to CA, forming a narrow, sclerotized costal area. ScP+R forks basad both CuA fork and Pcu+A1 fusion. RA with two terminals; RP with three terminals; MP with five terminals; CuA1 and CuA2 with two terminals each. 

Cretolala kachinensis Jiang, Boderau, Jouault & Szwedo sp. nov.  

Material. Holotype: HMJ–2016–019, adult female in Kachin (Burmese) amber from northern Myanmar. Repository: Myanmar Gems Museum, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Condition: the specimen is incomplete, with the head and the dorsal part of the thorax missing. 

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from “Kachin”, the name of the state in northern Myanmar where the amber originates, and is Latinized with the adjectival suffix -ensis, meaning from “Kachin”. 

Diagnosis. As for the genus, due to monotypy. Additional features include forewing coloration and venation details: costal margin with a continuous dark band along costal area; membrane bearing nearly continuous aligned patches and short transverse bands; a discrete insular macula on ScP+RA; a sub-elliptical isolated macula near distal Pcu; distad of forks of RP and MP, pigment is vein-following, tracking adjacent longitudinal and crossveins; postnodal cell centers unpigmented, ...

 Life reconstruction of Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov.

 (illustrated by Lucia Šmídová).

Ya-Ni TANG, Lucia ŠMÍDOVÁ, Ying-Ying DING, Mathieu BODERAU, Dolev FABRIKANT, Bastian MÄHLER, Jun-Chen DENG, Thet Tin NYUNT, Yan-Zh FU, Corentin JOUAULT, Frank TOMASCHEK, Jacek SZWEDO, Hui JIANG. 2026. Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacoidea), the First lalacid from mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber: Morphological and Taphonomic implications. Palaeoentomology. 9(2); 125-138. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.9.2.5 [2026-04-29]

[Fungi • 2026] Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata • Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Pleurocordyceps (Hypocreales: Polycephalomycetaceae) associated with Ants and Cicadas from Malaysia, including A New Species and New Records

  

Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata 

in Shahbaz, Mohadden, Rong, Wei et Seelan, 2026.

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.750.4.1

 

Abstract

Pleurocordyceps is a group of hyperparasites that infects invertebrates, plants, and other fungi. It belongs to the family Polycephalomycetaceae, a newly established family separated from Ophiocordycipitaceae, order Hypocreales which includes several genera such as Dingleyomyces, Paradingleyomyces, Perennicordyceps, Pleurocordyceps, and Polycephalomyces. Pleurocordyceps currently comprises 26 species reported from South American and Asian regions In Asia, Malaysia has diverse forest ecosystems and rich fungal diversity; however, no previous studies have been reported on the occurrence of Pleurocordyceps species. The aim of the study is to explore the Pleurocordyceps diversity tropical rainforests of Malaysia using morpho-molecular analyses. During a fungal survey in Malaysia, fungicolous fungus associated with ants and cicadas nymphs were collected and subjected to morphological and molecular assessments. Two genetic loci—the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1α) gene—were used to construct both individual and concatenated phylogenetic trees. The study describes a new species, Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata sp. nov. (BORH/F03651) from an ant, and two new records of P. aurantiaca (BORH/F03651), and P. nipponica (UTHM-CEF003.1) from Diptera and cicada nymph, respectively. These findings expand the knowledge of the geographic distribution of Pleurocordyceps and provide the first baseline data for the genus in Malaysia, thereby improving understanding of the diversity and evolutionary relationships within Polycephalomycetaceae.

arthropod hosts, entomopathogenic fungi, Pleurocordyceps, synnema, three taxa, typification, Fungi

Pleurocordyceps cornusynnemata sp. nov. 

MUHAMMAD SHAHBAZ, FIRDZA ZULKARNAIN MOHADDEN, JEREMIAH SIA YIAO RONG, YAP JING WEI and JAYA SEELAN SATHIYA SEELAN. 2026. Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Pleurocordyceps (Polycephalomycetaceae, Hypocreales) associated with Ants and Cicadas from Malaysia, including A New Species and New Records.  Phytotaxa. 750(4); 219-237. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.750.4.1 [2026-04-09]

[Entomology • 2026] Chinaica myrica & C. viraktamathi • A New Genus of idiocerine Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) from China on Waxberry, with Descriptions of Two New Species

Chinaica Zhang, gen. nov. 
Chinaica myrica Zhang, sp. nov. & C. viraktamathi Zhang, sp. nov.

in Zhang, Fu et Webb, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/dez.73.188389

Abstract

A new genus of idiocerine leafhoppers (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae) from China, Chinaica Zhang, gen. nov., is described, with two new species: Chinaica myrica Zhang, sp. nov., (the type species) and Chinaica viraktamathi Zhang, sp. nov. Specimens were collected from waxberry, Myrica rubra (Lour.) Siebold & Zucc. (Myricaceae). The new genus is distinguished by its external morphology and male genital structures and is compared to similar genera.

Key Words: Amritodus, Auchenorrhyncha, Leafhoppers, morphology, new taxa, Paramritodus, taxonomy

Species of Chinaica Zhang, gen. nov., dorsal habitus and face.
 a–f. Chinaica myrica Zhang, sp. nov.; g–l. Chinaica viraktamathi Zhang, sp. nov.;
a–c, g–i. Male; d–f, j–l. Female.

Chinaica viraktamathi Zhang, gen. nov. et sp. nov.
a. Myrica rubra (Lour.) Siebold & Zucc. (Myricaceae), the host plant of Chinaica myrica & C. viraktamathi;  
b. A male adult in its natural habitat (male); c. A nymph of the same species.

 Bin Zhang, Ziyu Fu and Michael D. Webb. 2026. A New Genus of idiocerine Leafhoppers (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae) from China on Waxberry, with Descriptions of Two New Species. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 73(1): 105-113. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/dez.73.188389 [8 May 2026]

[Entomology • 2026] Yoyetta argentea, Y. longirostra, Y. penetrans, ... • Eight New Species of Yoyetta Moulds (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae) from eastern Australia

 

Yoyetta argentea; Y. longirostra; Y. penetrans; Y. zagona; ...

Popple, 2026

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5777.2.1

Abstract

Eight new cicada species from the eucalypt forests of eastern Australia are described in the genus Yoyetta Moulds, 2012. Yoyetta argentea sp. nov. is found in the central highlands of Queensland; Y. burwelli sp. nov. is widespread in south-eastern Queensland and also occurs in far northern New South Wales; Y. clara sp. nov. occurs in the central highlands and in inland south-eastern Queensland; Y. eastwoodi sp. nov. is found in subcoastal central and south-eastern Queensland; Y. longirostra sp. nov. is restricted to south-eastern Queensland; Y. penetrans sp. nov. is known from coastal north-eastern New South Wales; Y. wrightae sp. nov. is distributed patchily through coastal and inland south-eastern Queensland; Y. zagona sp. nov. occurs in inland southern Queensland, inland New South Wales and north-western Victoria. The new species are broadly all allied to Y. tristrigata (Goding & Froggatt) and males of all species produce simple ticking or clicking songs and generally remain inconspicuous in the canopy. Within each species a description, as well as a section on distinguishing features, distribution, habitat and behaviour, and calling song structures are provided and illustrated where available. A revised key to species for the genus Yoyetta Moulds is also provided.

Hemiptera, Australia, behaviour, cicada, Cicadidae, Yoyetta, distribution, habitat, taxonomy

Yoyetta argentea sp. nov. is found in the central highlands of Queensland; 

Y. burwelli sp. nov. is widespread in south-eastern Queensland and also occurs in far northern New South Wales; 

Y. clara sp. nov. occurs in the central highlands and in inland south-eastern Queensland; 

Y. eastwoodi sp. nov. is found in subcoastal central and south-eastern Queensland; 

Y. longirostra sp. nov. is restricted to south-eastern Queensland; 

Y. penetrans sp. nov. is known from coastal north-eastern New South Wales; 

Y. wrightae sp. nov. is distributed patchily through coastal and inland south-eastern Queensland; 

Y. zagona sp. nov. occurs in inland southern Queensland, inland New South Wales and north-western Victoria.

Lindsay W. POPPLE. 2026. Eight New Species of Yoyetta Moulds (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae) from eastern Australia.  Zootaxa. 5777(2); 201-241. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5777.2.1 [2026-03-18]

[Entomology • 2026] Andes luchunensis, A. scalpratus, ... • Four New Species of the Planthopper Genus Andes (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cixiidae) from China, with an updated key to species

 

Andes luchunensis Lv, Zhi & Chen,  

in Lv, Zhi, Yang, Long, Chang, Zhang et Chen, 2026.

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/dez.73.173015

 

Abstract

Four new species of the genus Andes Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae, Cixiinae, Andini) are described from China: A. cuneatus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov., A. luchunensis Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov., A. scalpratus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov. from Yunnan Province, and A. orbiculatus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov. from Fujian Province. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations including female terminalia, and diagnostic comparisons are provided for all new species, with a particular emphasis on the male genital structures that distinguish them from congeners. An updated identification key to all known Chinese species of Andes is also presented.

Key Words: Cixiids, Delphacoidea, identification key, Oriental region, planthoppers, taxonomy

Andes luchunensis Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov., male.
A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Habitus, lateral view; C. Head and thorax, dorsal view; D. Frons, ventral view; E. Forewing; F. Genitalia, lateral view; G. Pygofer and gonostyli, ventral view; H. Anal segment, dorsal view; I. Gonostyli, lateral view; J. Aedeagus, right side; K. Aedeagus, left side; L. Aedeagus, dorsal view; M. Aedeagus, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–M).

 Andes cuneatus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov., 

A. luchunensis Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov., 

A. scalpratus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov.

 A. orbiculatus Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov. 

Adult of Andes luchunensis Lv, Zhi & Chen, sp. nov. resting on the leaf of fern. 4 August 2023, Huanglianshan National Nature Reserve, Lüchun County, Yunnan Province, photographed by Feng-E Li.

Sha-Sha Lv, Yan Zhi, Lin Yang, Jian-Kun Long, Zhi-Min Chang, Yu-Bo Zhang and Xiang-Sheng Chen. 2026. Four New Species of the Planthopper Genus Andes (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cixiidae) from China, with an updated key to species. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 73(1): 15-29. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/dez.73.173015 [03 Feb 2026]

[Entomology • 2026] Microvelia amphitrite • New Species and New Distributional Records of the Genus Microvelia Westwood (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Japanese Ogasawara Islands, with an Illustrated Key to Ogasawaran Species

Microvelia amphitrite  Matsushima & Watanabe, 

in Matsushima, Hisasue et Watanabe. 2026

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/jihs.3.1.2  

 Researchgate.net/publication/400255782 

  x.com/hydrotusk

 

Abstract

Microvelia (Pacificovelia) amphitrite new species is described from the Japanese Ogasawara Islands. In addition, some specimens identified as M. douglasi Scott, 1874 and previously reported by different authors from the Ogasawara Islands were examined and recognized as misidentifications actually belonging to M. yoshitomii Watanabe, 2023 and the new species herein described. These results indicate that M. douglasi is not distributed in the Ogasawara Islands. In addition, M. yoshitomii is herein reported for the first time from nine islands in the archipelago. An illustrated key to Ogasawaran Microveliinae species is provided. Field surveys revealed that two species of Microvelia in the Ogasawara Islands prey on arthropods across several taxa, more than half of which are alien species.

broad-shouldered water striders, Gerromorpha, Microveliinae, oceanic islands, semiaquatic bugs, small water striders, taxonomy

Habitus of Microvelia amphitrite new species paratypes.
 Apterous male and Apterous female.

Microvelia (Pacificovelia) amphitrite Matsushima and Watanabe, sp. nov. 

Etymology. The species epithet amphitrite derives from the Greek mythological queen of the sea, “Amphitrite”,who is said to have been crossed the sea on dolphins. This name reflects both the geographical background of thisnew species, which has established on the oceanic islands, and the dolphin-like shape of the male parameres. 

Predation events by Microvelia spp.
Predation by Microvelia amphitrite new species: 32, springtail (Entomobryidae). 33, Technomyrmex brunneus (Formicidae). 34, Apis mellifera (Apidae).
Predation by M. yoshitomii: 35, springtail (Sminthuridae). 36, Heteropsylla cubana (Psyllidae). 37, Pheidole parva s. l. (Formicidae).

RYOSUKE MATSUSHIMA, YU HISASUE and KOHEI WATANABE. 2026. New Species and New Distributional Records of the Genus Microvelia Westwood (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Japanese Ogasawara Islands, with an Illustrated Key to Ogasawaran Species. J. Int. Heteropterists’ Soc. 3(1); DOI: doi.org/10.11646/jihs.3.1.2 [2026-01-30] 

 Researchgate.net/publication/400255782_New_species_of_Microvelia_from_the_Japanese_Ogasawara_Islands

  x.com/hydrotusk/status/2017206587048575355

[Entomology • 2025] Neochlonocoris sepicus • A striking New apterous Mezirinae (Hemiptera: Aradidae) from Papua New Guinea

 

[1–3, 6, 8] Neochlonocoris sepicus n. sp. Heiss & Eckelt,
[4–5] Chlonocoris dolinorum Heiss, 2012,

in Heiss & Eckelt, 2025. 

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/jihs.2.2.4 

Abstract

The fauna of Aradidae or flat bugs of New Guinea Island is still insufficiently explored and studied. The Mezirinae, the largest subfamily of tropical Aradidae, has 25 genera recorded to date from New Guinea Island, and only one species Artabanellus mcnamarai Kormilev, 1967 is apterous. Now a striking new specimen of apterous Mezirinae has come to light, its habitus resembling species of the Madagascan genus Chlonocoris. However, because it cannot be placed in any extant genus of Aradidae, Neochlonocoris sepicus new genus and new species are described.

 Heteroptera, Flat Bugs, Karawari, Lowland rainforest, new species, New Guinea

1–3. Neochlonocoris sepicus n. sp., holotype. 1, Dorsal habitus. 2, Ventral habitus. 3, Dorsal terminal segments.
4–5, Chlonocoris dolinorum, holotype. 4, Dorsal habitus. 5, Dorsal terminal segments. Scale 5 mm.

6, Neochlonocoris sepicus n. sp., holotype, head and pronotum, dorsal.
7, Chlonocoris dolinorum holotype, head and pronotum, dorsal.
8–10, Neochlonocoris sepicus n. sp., holotype. 8, Abdomen, ventral habitus. 9, Terminal segments VII–VII, ventral view. 10, Left metathoracic scent-gland opening, ventral view.

Neochlonocoris sepicus n. gen., n. sp.

ERNST HEISS and ANDREAS ECKELT. 2025. Neochlonocoris sepicus n. gen., n. sp., a Striking New Apterous Mezirinae (Hemiptera: Aradidae) from Papua New Guinea. J. Int. Heteropterists’ Soc. 2(2); 121-125. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/jihs.2.2.4 [2025-04-30]

[PaleoEntomology • 2021] Ferriantenna excalibur • Drawing the Excalibur Bug from the Stone: Adding Credibility to the Double-edged Sword Hypothesis of coreid evolution (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

  

 three Cretaceous coreids with elaborate antennae.
 Dorsal habitus scaled to same uniform length to highlight the antennae to body ratios. Colorations are artistic recreations based upon extant coreids rather than the actual specimen, whose color was not preserved in the amber
A Ferriantenna excalibur gen. et sp. nov. B Ferriantenna “club-like antennae” C Magnusantenna wuae. 

Ferriantenna excalibur  Cumming & Le Tirant, 2021  

 DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1043.67730

Illustrations by Liz Sisk 

Abstract

A new genus and species of exaggerated antennae Coreidae is described from Myanmar amber of the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian stage). Ferriantenna excalibur gen. et sp. nov. appears related to another Cretaceous coreid with exaggerated antennae, Magnusantenna Du & Chen, 2021, but can be differentiated by the fourth antennal segment which is short and paddle-like, the undulating shape of the pronotum and mesonotum, and the shorter and thicker legs. The new coreid, with elaborately formed antennae and simple hind legs instead of the typical extant coreid morphology with simple antennae and elaborately formed hind legs, begs the question: why were the elaborate features of the antennae lost in favor of ornate hind legs? Features that are large and showy are at higher risk of being attacked by predators or stuck in a poor molt and subjected to autotomy and are therefore lost at a higher rate than simple appendages. We hypothesize that because elaborate antennae play an additional significant sensory role compared to elaborate hind legs, that evolutionarily it is more costly to have elaborate antennae versus elaborate hind legs. Thus, through the millenia, as coreid evolution experimented with elaborate/ornate features, those on the antennae were likely selected against in favor of ornate hind legs.

Keywords: Autotomy, Burmese, Cenomanian, Cretaceous, extinct, fossil, leaf-footed bugs, Mesozoic

Class Insecta Linnaeus, 1758

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758

Family Coreidae Leach, 1815

Subfamily Coreinae Leach, 1815

Artist recreation of the presently known three Cretaceous coreids with elaborate antennae. Illustrations by Liz Sisk (USA). Dorsal habitus scaled to same uniform length to highlight the antennae to body ratios. Colorations are artistic recreations based upon extant coreids rather than the actual specimen, whose color was not preserved in the amber A Ferriantenna excalibur gen. et sp. nov. B Ferriantenna “club-like antennae” C Magnusantenna wuae. 

Genus Ferriantenna gen. nov.

 

Etymology: The generic name is derived from Latin prefix ferri (meaning weapon) and Latin antenna (meaning yardarm of a ship/sail yard which was the origin of the “feeler or horn” of an insect; etymonline.com). This genus epithet is referring to the weapon-like appearance of the antennae of these insects (Fig. 2A, B). Gender is neuter.

Ferriantenna excalibur gen. et, sp. nov.

Etymology: Noun in apposition, given for Excalibur, the mythical “sword in the stone” which was first described in the epic poem Merlin (about the mythical advisor to King Arthur), written by the French poet Robert de Boron sometime between 1195–1210 (Reeve and Wright 2007) which was a reworking of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s “Historia Regum Britanniae”, completed c. 1138 (Wright 1985). Within this poem is the first mention of Excalibur being the sword in the stone, which could only be removed by the true king of England. We felt that this specific epithet was fitting as this group of insects with exaggerated antennae were first described as a possible “double edged sword in evolution” as these elaborate antennae went extinct (Du et al. 2021). We felt this witty description, coupled with the insect being trapped in stone (amber) was fitting for such a long lost, and therefore mythical species.

Ferriantenna excalibur gen. et sp. nov. holotype
A dorsolateral habitus B left antennae lateral and head dorsal C amber specimen #BHM10200800678 showing the inclusion.

Royce T. Cumming and Stephane Le Tirant. 2021. Drawing the Excalibur Bug from the Stone: Adding Credibility to the Double-edged Sword Hypothesis of coreid evolution (Hemiptera, Coreidae). ZooKeys. 1043: 117-131.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1043.67730

[Entomology • 2025] Borysthenes delicatus, B. pantherinus, B. undulatus ... • Taxonomic Notes on the Genus Borysthenes Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Borysthenidae), with Description of Six New Species from China

A: Type locality of Borysthenes pantherinus sp. nov. and B. opacus sp. nov., arrowed specific location where specimens were collected;
B: B. opacus sp. nov.; C: B. pantherinus sp. nov.;
D: B. undulatus sp. nov.; E: B. delicatus sp. nov. 

Lyu, 2025

  

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5665.1.4  

  Researchgate.net/publication/394382862

Abstract  

Six new species of the planthopper genus Borysthenes Stål, 1866 from China are described and illustrated here: Borysthenes xuzhiae sp. nov., B. mysterius sp. nov. and B. undulatus sp. nov. from Hainan Island, B. pantherinus sp. nov. and B. opacus sp. nov. from Guangxi, and B. delicatus sp. nov. from Yunnan. Images of adult habitus and male genitalia of each species are provided. Images of female genitalia of each species except B. mysterius are provided, which is the first time that internal structures of female genitalia of Borysthenes species are described. Additionally, updated generic diagnostic characters, forewing venation diagram for the genus and key to Borysthenes species in China are provided.   

Hemiptera, Taxonomy, morphology, planthopper, identification key, female genitalia, Delphacoidea

Habitat of Borysthenes spp.
A: Type locality of Borysthenes pantherinus sp. nov. and B. opacus sp. nov., arrowed specific location where specimens were collected; B: habitus of B. opacus sp. nov.; C: habitus of B. pantherinus sp. nov.; D: habitus of B. undulatus sp. nov.; E: habitus of B. delicatus sp. nov.; F: aggregation of B. xuzhiae sp. nov. on rock surface, photographed during daylight, arrowed representatives of individuals; G: habitus of B. xuzhiae sp. nov.

 

Tianlang LYU. 2025. Taxonomic Notes on the Genus Borysthenes Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Borysthenidae), with Description of Six New Species from China. Zootaxa. 5665(1); 67-84. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5665.1.4 [2025-07-21] 

 Researchgate.net/publication/394382862_Taxonomic_notes_on_the_genus_Borysthenes_from_China

[Entomology • 2025] Ceratocombus sirindhornae • A New Species of the Minute Litter Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Dipsocoromorpha: Ceratocombidae) from Thailand

Ceratocombus sirindhornae 

Kim, Keetapithchayakul, Phan, Ignatius & Jung, 2025 

  

Tropical Natural History. Suppl. 8;   

มวนหญ้าสิรินธร  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.58837/tnh.25.8.266938

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Abstract

A new species of the minute litter bug, Ceratocombus sirindhornae sp. nov. is described from Thailand. Detailed morphological information including description, diagnosis, and brief biology of the new species are presented.

Keywords: Dipsocoromorpha, Ceratocombidae, Ang Ka, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Ceratocombus sirindhornae sp. nov.

Junggon Kim, Tosaphol Saetung Keetapithchayakul, Quoc Toan Phan, Kaewpawika Jitthamma Ignatius and Sunghoon Jung. 2025. Ceratocombus sirindhornae sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Dipsocoromorpha: Ceratocombidae): A New Species of the Minute Litter Bugs from Thailand. Tropical Natural History. Suppl. 8; 297-304. DOI: doi.org/10.58837/tnh.25.8.266938  [2025-10-20]

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[Entomology • 2025] Agoo kizini & A. palmalopezi • Two New Species of the Palm-feeding Planthopper Genus Agoo (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Derbidae) from southern Mexico

 

 Agoo kizini Pinedo-Escatel & Blanco-Rodríguez, 

in Palma-Cancino, Pinedo-Escatel, Blanco-Rodríguez, Bahder et Ortiz-Garcia, 2025.

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5706.2.8  

  Researchgate.net/publication/396371622

Two new species of the genus Agoo Bahder & Bartlett, A. kizini Pinedo-Escatel & Blanco-Rodríguez sp. nov. from the Yucatán Peninsula and A. palmalopezi Pinedo-Escatel & Blanco-Rodríguez sp. nov. from the state of Tabasco, Mexico are described and illustrated. Sequence data for the 18S rRNA and COX1 genes of A. kizini are provided and a distributional map of both species is also given. Specimens were found in association with palms, representing the first record of Agoo in Mexico.

Hemiptera, Derbinae, Cenchreini, Arecaceae, Yucatán, Peninsula Tabasco

Pablo José PALMA-CANCINO, J. Adilson PINEDO-ESCATEL, Edith BLANCO-RODRÍGUEZ, B. W. BAHDER and Carlos Fredy ORTIZ-GARCÍA. 2025. Two New Species of the Palm-feeding Planthopper Genus Agoo (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Derbidae) from southern Mexico. Zootaxa. 5706(2); 279-291. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5706.2.8 [2025-10-10]  Researchgate.net/publication/396371622

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 Researchgate.net/publication/396371622_Two_new_species_of_Agoo_from_southern_Mexico

[Entomology • 2025] Omoplax hisasuei, O. inugusu & O. hisasuei • An Illustrated Key to the Lace Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae) from “Oriental Galapagos” the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, with Descriptions of Three New Species of the endemic Genus Omoplax Horváth, 1912

A. Omoplax inugusu sp. nov., male; B. O. inugusu sp. nov., female; C. O. kobugashi sp. nov., male; D. O. kobugashi sp. nov., female; E. O. kobugashi sp. nov., fifth instar nymph; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov., fourth instar nymph; G. O. majorcarinae, male; H. O. majorcarinae, female; I. O. hisasuei sp. nov., male.
  
E. Neolitsea sericea var. aurata Hahajima Island, damaged by O. hisasuei sp. nov.; F. M. boninensis from Hahajima Island, damaged by O. inugusu sp. nov.; H. M. kobu from Chichijima Island, damaged by O. kobugashi sp. nov.

Souma, 2025

 DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1250.160064

Abstract

The lace bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) from the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, which are known as “Oriental Galapagos”, are taxonomically revised. The following eight species belonging to the two endemic genera, Acanthomoplax Souma & Kamitani, 2021 (Tinginae, Tingini) or Omoplax Horváth, 1912 (Tinginae, Tingini) are recognized from the islands: A. tomokunii Souma & Kamitani, 2021, O. desecta (Horváth, 1912), O. hisasuei sp. nov., O. inugusu sp. nov., O. karubei Souma, 2022, O. kobugashi sp. nov., O. majorcarinae Guilbert, 2001, and O. mukojimensis Souma, 2022. In previous studies published in the 2020s, O. inugusu sp. nov. and O. kobugashi sp. nov. were misidentified as O. majorcarinae, while O. majorcarinae, re-diagnosed in the present study, was confused with O. desecta. Host plants for seven of the eight species, excluding O. mukojimensis, were revealed based on field and captive observations. Five of these seven species—A. tomokunii, O. hisasuei sp. nov., O. inugusu sp. nov., O. kobugashi sp. nov., and O. majorcarinae—feed on evergreen lauraceous trees. An illustrated key is also provided to identify all eight lace bug species from the Ogasawara Islands. Moreover, differences in host plants and distribution ranges of the eight endemic species are also discussed. Future research directions necessary for the conservation of endemic lace bugs are proposed.

Key words: Allopatric distribution, East Asia, endemic taxa, host plant, Lauraceae, phytophagous insect, oceanic island, Oceanian Region

Living individuals of three tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan.
A. Omoplax inugusu sp. nov., male; B. O. inugusu sp. nov., female; C. O. kobugashi sp. nov., male;
D. O. kobugashi sp. nov., female; E. O. kobugashi sp. nov., fifth instar nymph; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov., fourth instar nymph;
G. O. majorcarinae, male; H. O. majorcarinae, female; I. O. majorcarinae, fifth instar nymph.

Host plants of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan.
A. Machilus kobu from Ototojima Island, damaged by Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. M. thunbergii planted in northern Honshu, damaged by A. tomokunii in captivity; C. Rhaphiolepis indica var. tashiroi from Chichijima Island, damaged by Omoplax desecta;
D. Calophyllum inophyllum from Chichijima Island, damaged by O. desecta; E. Neolitsea sericea var. aurata Hahajima Island, damaged by O. hisasuei sp. nov.; F. M. boninensis from Hahajima Island, damaged by O. inugusu sp. nov.;
 G. R. indica var. tashiroi from Mukojima Island, damaged by O. karubei (photographs taken by Jinhyeong Park); H. M. kobu from Chichijima Island, damaged by O. kobugashi sp. nov.; I. N. sericea var. aurata Ototojima Island, damaged by O. majorcarinae.

 Jun Souma. 2025. An Illustrated Key to the Lace Bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) from “Oriental Galapagos” (the Ogasawara Islands, Japan), with Descriptions of Three New Species of the endemic Genus Omoplax Horváth, 1912. ZooKeys. 1250: 243-284. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1250.160064

[Entomology • 2024] Vagitanus venetus • A New Cicada Species of Vagitanus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from northern and central Vietnam

 

  Vagitanus venetus  Emery & Lee, 2024

[A, B, C, F] male; [D, E] female 

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2024.01.003

Abstract

A new species of Vagitanus Distant is described from north and central Vietnam. V. venetus sp. nov. inhabits forested woodland at altitudes of >1000 m. Its distribution currently limited to the coastal areas and hinterland in the eastern provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Binh, Kon Tum and Hue and north in Yen Bai province.

Keywords: Cicadatrini, Cicadinae, Cicadettinae, Vagitanus, taxonomy

 Vagitanus venetus sp. n.
A, holotype male (green form), dorsal habitus; B, paratype male (faded form), dorsal habitus;
C, holotype male, ventral habitus; D, female, dorsal habitus;
E, female, ventral habitus; F, male holotype, abdomen, lateral habitus.

<scale bars: 10 mm (A–E); 5 mm (F)>.

Family Cicadidae Latrielle, 1802

Subfamily Cicadettinae Buckton, 1890

Tribe Cicadatrini Distant, 1905

Genus Vagitanus Distant, 1918

Vagitanus venetus sp.n.

 

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin for the deep green coloration of fresh specimens of this cicada.

David Lyall Emery and Young June Lee. 2024. A New Cicada Species of Vagitanus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from northern and central Vietnam. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 17(1); 240-244. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2024.01.003 [1 June 2024]