Abstract
In addition to institutions numbers 1 and 2, the first author, Shu Li, is also affiliated with institution number 3, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
Highlights
Mating behaviors for extant insects have been studied and documented, for example, for froghoppers[1], scorpionflies[2] and planthoppers[3]
Boucot and Poinar[4] listed 33 instances of fossilized mating insects, such as fireflies, mosquitoes, planthoppers, leafhoppers, water striders, bees and ants, 27 of which are preserved in amber, others on compression fossils
We report a pair of well-preserved copulating froghoppers, Anthoscytina perpetua sp. nov., referable to the Procercopidae, from Jiulongshan Formation at the Daohugou Village in northeastern China
Summary
Mating behaviors for extant insects have been studied and documented, for example, for froghoppers[1], scorpionflies[2] and planthoppers[3]. The nymphs of froghoppers are called spittlebugs because they cover themselves with foaming spittle, composed of tiny air bubbles trapped in secretions from their Malpighian tubules, which provides protection from predation, parasitism and desiccation[6] This discovery of the earliest record of copulating insects hitherto sheds light on the evolution of mating behavior in this group of insects. Cases of mating individuals are rare in the fossil record of insects, and most of them involved preservation in amber while only in rare cases found in compression fossils This considerably limits our knowledge of mating position and genitalia orientation during the Mesozoic, and hinders our understanding of the evolution of mating behaviors in this major component of modern ecosystems. Genitalia of male and female, based on paratypes, show symmetric structures
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
