99-Million-Year-Old Amber Preserves Earliest-Known Mosquito Larva
A new fossil found in a piece of amber from Myanmar represents the first mosquito larva preserved in amber and the first immature mosquito from the Mesozoic Era.
The fossil, named as a new genus and species Cretosabethes primaevus, provides strong support for the Jurassic origin of the mosquito family Culicidae.
According to the discovery, the larval morphology of mosquitoes 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: Ancient mosquito larva found in 99-million-year-old amber.
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