This newly discovered fossil, preserved in amber from Myanmar’s Kachin region, marks the first instance of a mosquito larva found in amber and represents the earliest immature mosquito of the Mesozoic era, designated as a new genus and species: Cletosabetes primaevus. This discovery strongly suggests that the mosquito family Culicidae has its origins in the Jurassic period and indicates that its larval structure has remained largely unchanged for at least the past 99 million years.
Mosquitoes comprise a vast group of insects, with over 3,727 known species alive today.
Although small, they are quite noticeable and widely distributed, playing significant roles in ecosystems, human history, and both human and veterinary health.
To date, 31 species of mosquito fossils have been documented. These ancient mosquitoes closely resemble modern species and are classified within the same genus as their modern counterparts.
“The earliest known mosquito fossils are adults, also found in amber dating back about 99 million years,” stated Dr. Andre Amaral from Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich and his team.
“Given their morphological distinctions from living species, they are considered part of a separate group, Burmaculicinae, representing an extinct lineage within Culicidae.”
The authors note that Cletosabetes primaevus belongs to the Sabetini group, which includes existing species.
Similar to the larvae of current Sabetini species, this new species’ larvae likely thrived in small water bodies.
“According to currently uncovered fossils, the evolutionary roots of mosquitoes are believed to be in the Jurassic period, roughly 201 to 145 million years ago,” the researchers remarked.
“Molecular phylogeny analyses yield varying conclusions, from the Triassic to Jurassic periods.”
“Our research strongly indicates that mosquitoes had already diversified during the Jurassic period, with their larval structure remarkably consistent for nearly 100 million years.”
“This finding challenges previous notions regarding the early evolution of this insect group and offers fresh insights into its evolutionary ecology.”
A segment of amber containing Cletosabetes primaevus larvae was sourced from the Kachin Amber Mine in Myanmar’s Hukaung Valley.
This amber dates back to the Late Cretaceous, about 98.79 million years ago.
“This fossil stands out as the larva closely resembles modern species. Unlike other mosquito fossils from this period, it displays distinct morphological features no longer found in today’s species,” Dr. Amaral explained.
A paper detailing Cletosabetes primaevus was published in this month’s edition of Gondwana Research.
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Andre P. Amaral et al. 2025. The first fossilized mosquito larva discovered in 99-million-year-old amber illuminates the evolutionary history of mosquitoes (Diptera: Mosquitoidae). Gondwana Research 150: 154-162; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011
Source: www.sci.news
