99-Million-Year-Old Amber Preserves Earliest-Known Mosquito Larva
A new fossil, encased in a piece of amber from Myanmar, represents the first mosquito larva preserved in amber and the first immature mosquito from the Mesozoic Era, named as a new genus and species Cretosabethes primaevus.
This discovery provides strong support for the Jurassic origin of the mosquito family Culicidae and suggests that their larval morphology has remained relatively conserved for at least the past 99 million years.
The mosquitoes comprise a large group of insects, with over 3,727 living species, playing a significant role in ecosystems, human history, and human and veterinary health.
Currently, 31 fossil species of mosquitoes are recognized, with ancient mosquitoes being similar to living species and placed in genera with living representatives.
Image credit: Amaral et al., doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011
Author's summary: A 99-million-year-old amber fossil preserves the earliest-known mosquito larva.
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