A new view of the well-preserved Cretophengodes azari, a fossil-light-producing beetle encased in orange.
Chenyang Cai
A beetle trapped in amber for more than 100 million years provides scientists with clues as to why the bioluminescent insects glowed about 145 to 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous.
In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists reveal that a Cretophengodes beetle ‘preserved with a lifelike amber color’ has a direct connection with its flying cousin.
It was a bit of a mystery to scientists why ancient beetles could glow. But based on their family members like fireflies, scientists believe the feature could probably be used as a defense against predators, as well as a way to attract mates – just as modern-day beetle larvae in the same family used light.
“The discovery of a new extinct Elateroid beetle family is important,” co-author Erik Tihelka of the School of Earth Sciences said in a statement, “because it helps to shed the evolution of these fascinating beetles.”
Here is an artistic reconstruction of a Cretophengodes azari male and female in the undergrowth of a chalk rainforest.
Dinghua Yang
Because this particular beetle fossil was well preserved in orange, scientists could see the light organ in the belly of the male beetle. This is evidence that adult Cretofen gods were able to produce light about 100 million years ago.
The majority of light-producing beetles belong to the Elateroidea family, which has more than 24,000 known species. The discovery of this beetle provides the missing fossil connection between living families and helps scientists understand how these beetles evolved and how they should be classified.