Abstract
Morphological insect-insect mimicry is known from few Cretaceous cockroaches and a beetle. Formicamendax vrsanskyi gen. et sp. n. (Blattaria, Alienopteridae) shows myrmecomorph features such as an elongated, smooth and black body, simple fenestrated hindwing, legs lacking protective spines. Elbowed or “geniculate “antenna is a typical character of advanced ants and weevils used for different forms of communication. Together with reduced mouthparts and specialized palps still preserved grasping food, they evidence specialized behavioral mimicry. The attached symmetric angiosperm pollen on hindleg can provide rare evidence of insect-flower relations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allaby M (2014) A dictionary of zoology, 4th edn. Oxford University Press, UK
Bai M, Beutel RG, Klass KD, Zhang W, Yang X, Wipfler B (2016) †Alienoptera– a new insect order in the roach-mantodean twilight zone. Gondwana Res 39:317–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2016.02.002
Bai M, Beutel RG, Zhang W, Wang S, Hörnig M, Gröhn C, Yan E, Yang X, Wipfler B (2018) A new cretaceous insect with a unique cephalo-thoracic scissor device. Curr Biol 28:438–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.031
Barden P, Grimaldi DA (2012) Rediscovery of the bizarre cretaceous ant Haidomyrmex Dlussky (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with two new species. Am Mus Novit 3755:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1206/3755.2
Barden P, Grimaldi DA (2013) A new genus of highly specialized ants in cretaceous Burmese Amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3681:405–412. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3681.4.5
Barden P, Grimaldi DA (2016) Adaptive radiation in socially advanced stem-group ants from the cretaceous. Curr Biol 26:515–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.060
Barden P, Hollister WH, Grimaldi DA (2017) A new genus of hell ants from the cretaceous (Hymenoptera:Formicidae: Haidomyrmecini) with a novel head structure. Syst Entomol 42:837–846. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12253
Bates HW (1862) XXXII. Contributions to an insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley: Lepidoptera: Heliconidae. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 25:495–566
Bethoux O, Galtier J, Nel A (2004) Earliest evidence of endophytic oviposition. Palaios 19:408–413
Chen SC, Tian CC (1973) A new family of Coleoptera from the lower cretaceous of Kansu. Acta Entomol Sin 16:169–178
Cifuentes RP, Vršanský P, Vega FJ, Cevallos-Ferriz S, Gonzalez-Soriano E, Delgado de Jesus C (2006) Terrestrial arthropods from the Cerro del Pueble formation (Campanian late cretaceous), Difunta group, NE Mexico. Geol Carpath 57:347–354
Clarke DJ, Limaye A, Mckenna DD, Oberprieler RG (2018) The weevil Fauna preserved in Burmese Amber—snapshot of a unique, extinct lineage (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea). Diversity 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/d11010001
Cushing PE (2012) Spider-ant associations: an updated review of myrmecomorphy, myrmecophily, and myrmecophagy in spiders. Psyche 2012:151989. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/151989
D'ettorre P, Deisig N, Sandoz JC (2017) Decoding ants' olfactory system sheds light on the evolution of social communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 114:201711075. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711075114
Di Giulio A, Rossi Stacconi MV, Romani R (2009) Fine structure of the antennal glands of the ant nest beetle Paussus favieri (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini). Arthropod Struct Dev 38:293–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2009.01.001
Dlussky GM (1983) New subfamily of late cretaceous Hymenoptera ″missed link″ between ants and Scolioidea. J Paleontol 17:65–78. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030111050054
Dlussky GM (1996) Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Burmese amber. Paleontol J 30:449–454
Dmitriev VY, Aristov DS, Bashkuev AS, Vasilenko DV, Vršanský P, Gorochov AV, Lukashevitch ED, Mostovski MB, Ponomarenko AG, Popov YA, Rasnitsyn AP, Sinitshenkova ND, Sukatsheva ID, Tarasenkova MM, Khramov AV, Shmakov AS (2018) Insect diversity from the carboniferous to recent. Paleontol J 52:610–619. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030118060047
Eldredge N (1980) An extravagance of species: the diversity of fossil trilobites poses a challenge to traditional evolutionary theory. Nat Hist 89:46–51
Fiedler K (2012) The host genera of ant-parasitic lycaenidae butterflies: a review. Psyche 2012:153975. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/153975
Geiselhardt SF, Peschke K, Nagel P (2007) A review of myrmecophily in ant nest beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Paussinae): linking early observations with recent findings. Naturwissenschaften 94:871–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-007-0271-x
Grimaldi DA, Engel MS (2005) Evolution of the insects. Cambridge University Press, New York
Guo M, Xing L, Wang B, Zhang WW, Wang S, Shi A, Bai M (2017) A catalogue of Burmite inclusions. Zoological Systematics 42:249–397. https://doi.org/10.11865/zs.201715
Heinze J (1996) Reproductive hierarchies among workers of the slave-making ant, Chalepoxenus muellerianus. Ethology 102:117–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1996.tb01109.x
Heinze J, Hölldobler B, Alpert G (1999) Reproductive conflict and division of labor in Eutetramorium mocquerysi, a Myrmicine ant without morphologically distinct female reproductives. Ethology 105:701–717. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0310.1999.00450.x
Heinze J, Stengl B, Sledge MF (2002) Worker rank, reproductive status and cuticular hydrocarbon signature in the ant, Pachycondyla cf. inversa. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 52:59–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-002-0491-1
Hespenheide HA (1984) New Neotropical species of putative ant-mimicking weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Zygopinae). Coleopt Bull 38:313–321
Hinkelman J (2019) Spinaeblattina myanmarensis gen. et sp. nov. and Blattoothecichnus argenteus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. (both Mesoblattinidae) from mid-cretaceous Myanmar amber. Cretac Res 99:229–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.02.026
Hojo MK, Ishii K, Sakura M, Yamaguchi K, Shigenobu S, Ozaki M (2015) Antennal RNA-sequencing analysis reveals evolutionary aspects of chemosensory proteins in the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus. Sci Rep 5:13541. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13541
Hölldobler B, Wilson EO (1990) The ants. Springer, Berlin
Holzer B, Chapuisat M, Kremer N, Keller L (2006) Unicoloniality, recognition and genetic differentiation in a native Formica ant. J Evol Biol 19:2031–2039. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01133.x
Huxley JS (1928) The social world of the ants compared with that of man. Nature 121:819–822
Ito F (1993) Social organization in a primitive ponerine ant: queenless reproduction, dominance hierarchy and functional polygyny in Amblyopone sp. (reclinata group) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). J Nat Hist 27:1315–1324. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939300770751
Ito F (2005) Mechanisms regulating functional monogyny in a Japanese population of Leptothorax acervorum (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): dominance hierarchy and preferential egg cannibalism. Belg J Zool 135:3–8
Jaloszynski P, Perrichot V, Peris D (2017) Ninety million years of chasing mites by ant-like stone beetles. Gondwana Res 48:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2017.04.002
Kania I, Wang B, Szwedo J (2015) Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken, 1860 (Diptera, Limoniidae) from the earliest Cenomanian Burmese amber. Cretac Res 52:522–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.03.002
Khramov AV, Lukashevich ED (2019) A Jurassic dipteran pollinator with an extremely long proboscis. Gondwana Res 71:210–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2019.02.004
Kočárek P (2018a) Alienopterella stigmatica gen. et sp. nov.: the second known species and specimen of Alienoptera extends knowledge about this cretaceous order (Insecta: Polyneoptera). J Syst Palaeontol. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2018.1440440
Kočárek P (2018b) The cephalothoracic apparatus of Caputoraptor elegans may have been used to squeeze prey. Curr Biol 28:R803–R825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.046
Latreille PA (1802) Histoire naturelle des fourmis, et recueil de mémoires et d'observations sur les abeilles, les araignées, les faucheurs, et autres insectes. Barrois, Paris
Latreille PA (1810) Considerations generales sur l'ordre naturel des animaux composant les classes des crustaces, des arachnides, et des insectes, avec un tableau methodique de leurs genres, disposes en familles. Schoell, Paris
Li XR, Huang D (2018) A new cretaceous cockroach with heterogeneous tarsi preserved in Burmese amber (Dictyoptera, Blattodea, Corydiidae). Cretac Res 92:12–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2018.07.017
Liu Z, Huang D, Chenyang C, Wang X (2018) The Core eudicot boom registered in Myanmar Amber. Sci Rep 8:16765. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35100-4
Maruyama M, Parker J (2017) Deep-time convergence in rove beetle symbionts of Army ants. Curr Biol 27:920–926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.030
Maurizi E, Fattorini S, Di Giulio A (2012) Behavior of Paussus favieri (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini), a myrmecophilous beetle associated with Pheidole pallidula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Psyche 2012:940315. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/940315
Maynard SJ, Harper D (1997) Animal Signals. Oxford University Press, UK
Mckay IJ (2007) A new genus of the cockroach family Umenocoleidae from cretaceous deposits at Orapa, Botswana. Palaeontol Afr 42:127
Medeiros FNS, Lopes LE, Moutinho PRS, Oliveira PS, Hölldobler B (1992) Functional polygyny, agonistic interactions and reproductive dominance in the Neotropical ant Odontomachus chelifer (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae). Ethology 91:134–146
Mlynský T, Wu H, Koubová I (2018) Dominant Burmite cockroach Jantaropterix ellenbergeri sp.n. might laid isolated eggs together. Paleontographica Abt A. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2019/0091
Moreau CS, Bell CD (2014) Testing the museum versus cradle tropical biological diversity hypothesis: phylogeny, diversification, and ancestral biogeographic range evolution of the ants. Evolution 67:2240–2257. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12105
Nicholson DB, Mayhew PJ, Ross AJ (2015) Changes to the fossil record of insects through fifteen years of discovery. PlosONE 10:e0128554. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128554
O'Fallon S, Suarez AV, Smith AA (2016) A comparative analysis of rapid antennation behavior in four species of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants. Insect Soc 63:265–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-016-0462-6
Parker J, Grimaldi DA (2014) Specialized myrmecophily at the ecological dawn of modern ants. Curr Biol 24:2428–2434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.08.068
Pérez-de la Fuente R, Penalver E, Azar D, Engel MS (2018) A soil-carrying lacewing larva in early cretaceous Lebanese amber. Sci Rep 8:16663. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-34870-1
Perrichot V, Wang B, Engel MS (2016) Extreme morphogenesis and ecological specialization among cretaceous basal ants. Curr Biol 26:1468–1472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.075
Podstrelená L, Sendi H (2018) Cratovitisma Bechly, 2007 (Blattaria: Umenocolidae) recorded in Lebanese and Myanmar ambers. Palaeontographica A 310:121–129. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2018/0076
Poinar G (2018) Burmese amber: evidence of Gondwanan origin and cretaceous dispersion. Hist Biol. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1446531
Poinar G, Brown E (2017) An exotic insect Aethiocarenus burmanicus gen. Et sp. nov. (Aethiocarenodea Ord. Nov., Aethiocarenidae fam. Nov.) from mid-cretaceous Myanmar amber. Cretac Res 72:100–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2016.12.011
Qiu L, Wang ZQ, Che YL (2019a) A new corydiid cockroach with large holoptic eyes in upper cretaceous Burmese amber (Blattodea: Corydiidae: Euthyrrhaphinae). Cretac Res 96:179–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2018.12.018
Qiu L, Wang ZQ, Che YL (2019b) First record of Blattulidae from mid-cretaceous Burmese amber (Insecta: Dictyoptera). Cretac Res. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.03.011
Quicke DLJ (2017) Mimicry, crypsis, masquerade and other adaptive resemblances. Wiley-Blackwell, New Jersey
Rettenmeyer CW (1970) Insect mimicry. Annu Rev Entomol 15:43–74. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.15.010170.000355
Ross AJ (2018) Burmese (Myanmar) amber taxa, on-line checklist v.2018.2. https://www.researchgate.net/project/Burmese-Myanmar-amber-taxa. Accessed 25 Nov 2018
Ross A, Mellish C, York P, Crighton B (2010) Burmese amber. In: Penney D (ed) Biodiversity of fossils in amber from the major world deposits. Siri Scientific Press, UK, pp 208–235
Rust J, Wappler T (2016) Paleontology: the point of no return in the fossil record of Eusociality. Curr Biol 26:R159–R161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.038
Schatz B, Lachaud JP, Beugnon G (1996) Polytheism within hunters of the ponerine ant, Ectatomma ruidum Roger (Formicidae, Ponerinae). Insect Soc 43:111–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242563
Sendi H, Azar D (2017) New aposematic and presumably repellent bark cockroach from Lebanese amber. Cretac Res 72:13–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2016.11.013
Shi G, Grimaldi DA, Harlow GE, Wang J, Yang M, Lei W, Li Q, Li X (2012) Age constraint on Burmese amber based on U-Pb dating of zircons. Cretac Res 37:155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.014
Šmídová L, Lei X (2017) The earliest amber-recorded type cockroach family was aposematic (Blattaria: Blattidae). Cretac Res 72:189–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2017.01.008
Topper TP, Strotz LC, Holmer LE, Zhang ZF, Tait NN, Caron JB (2015) Competition and mimicry: the curious case of chaetae in brachiopods from the middle Cambrian burgess shale. BMC Evol Biol 15:42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0314-4
Trunzer B, Heinze J, Hölldobler B (1999) Social status and reproductive success in queenless ant colonies. Behaviour 136:1093–1105
Velásquez N, Gómez M, González J, Vásquez R (2006) Nest-mate recognition and the effect of distance from the nest on the agressive behaviour of Camponotus chilensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behaviour 143:811–824. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853906778017935
Vidlička Ľ (2001) Blattaria – šváby, Mantodea – modlivky (Insecta: Orthopteroidea). Fauna Slovenska. Veda, vydavateľstvo SAV, Bratislava
Vršanský P (2009) Albian cockroaches (Insecta, Blattida) from French amber of Archingeay. Geodiversitas 31:73–98. https://doi.org/10.5252/g2009n1a7
Vršanský P (2010) Cockroach as the earliest eusocial animal. Acta Geol Sin 84:793–808. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00261.x
Vršanský P, Bechly G (2015) New predatory cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria: Manipulatoridae fam. n.) from the upper cretaceous Myanmar amber. Geol Carpath 66:133–138. https://doi.org/10.1515/geoca-2015-0015
Vršanský P, Wang B (2017) A new cockroach, with bipectinate antennae (Blattaria: Olidae fam. nov.) further highlights the differences between the Burmite and other faunas. Biologia 72:1327–1333. https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0144
Vršanský P, Oružinský R, Aristov D, Wei DD, Vidlička Ľ, Ren D (2017) Temporary deleterious mass mutations relate to originations of cockroach families. Biologia 72:886–912. https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0096
Vršanský P, Bechly G, Zhang Q, Jarzembowski EA, Mlynský T, Šmídová L, Barna P, Kúdela M, Aristov D, Bigalk S, Krogmann L, Li L, Zhang Q, Zhang H, Ellenberger S, Müller P, Gröhn C, Xia F, Ueda K, Vd’ačný P, Valaška D, Vršanská L, Wang B (2018a) Batesian insect-insect mimicry-related explosive radiation of ancient alienopterid cockroaches. Biologia 73:987–1006. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0117-3
Vršanský P, Šmídová L, Sendi H, Barna P, Müller P, Ellenberger S, Wu H, Ren X, Lei X, Azar D, Šurka J, Su T, Deng W, Shen X, Lv J, Bao T, Bechly G (2019a) Parasitic cockroaches indicate complex states of earliest proved ants. Biologia 73:1–25. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0146-y
Vršanský P, Sendi H, Aristov D, Bechly G, Müller P, Ellenberger S, Azar D, Ueda K, Barna P, Garcia T (2019b) Ancient roaches further exemplify ‘no land return’ in aquatic insects. Gondwana Res 68:22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2018.10.020
Wheeler WM (1931) The ant Camponotus (Myrmepomis) Sericeiventris Guérin and its mimic. Psyche 38:86–98
Wilson EO (1962) Chemical communication among workers of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Fr. Smith). 1. The organization of mass-foraging. Anim Behav 10:134–147
Wilson EO (1971) The insect societies. Harvard University Press, UK
Wüst M, Menzel F (2016) I smell where you walked-how chemical cues influence movement decisions in ants. Oikos 126:149–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.03332
Zhang Z, Schneider JW, Hong Y (2012) The most ancient roach (Blattida): a new genus and species from the earliest late carboniferous (Namurian) of China, with discussion on the phylomorphogeny of early blattids. J Syst Palaeontol 11:27–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2011
Acknowledgments
I thank Dr. Peter Vršanský (ESISAS Bratislava) for advice and support, Prof. Bo Wang of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences for providing the material and equipments. I also thank anonymous reviewers for their works and valuable suggestions. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contracts No. APVV-0436-12, VEGA 2/0042/18 and by UNESCO-Amba/ MVTS supporting grant of Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflict of interest. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to janhinkelman91@gmail.com
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hinkelman, J. Earliest behavioral mimicry and possible food begging in a Mesozoic alienopterid pollinator. Biologia 75, 83–92 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00278-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00278-z