How Big Were Prehistoric Wasps?
WouterUntil recently, scientists didn’t know exactly how big prehistoric wasps were. But now they’ve uncovered fossil evidence of parasitic wasps, which are similar to today’s species. Researchers studied about 1,500 fossilized fly pupae from the Eocene epoch, from 23 to 66 million years ago. They found 55 cases of parasitisation.
These prehistoric parasites were injected with an egg inside the pupa. The wasps then grew into adulthood and fed on the developing fly. This may have been a self-defense mechanism. They also may have been attracted to the same types of flowering plants that today’s horntail wood-wasps are attracted to.
Scientists found several species of prehistoric predatory wasps in the fossil record. These creatures had bodies that were three times the size of modern wasps. They had long jaws that may have been used for self-defense. They also gathered food for their offspring.
They were also able to identify four new species. They are all part of a superfamily called Chalcidoidea, which parasitizes spiders and other insects. Ypresiosirex orthosemos, a seven-centimeter-long wasp, is one of the new species.
One of the other new species was discovered by paleoentomologist Bruce Archibald. He found the fossils in McAbee Fossil Beds near Cache Creek, Alberta. He said the discovery gives insight into modern life after the dinosaurs died. Archibald also found other new species at the site.
The fossilized wasps from the Eocene epoch are members of a superfamily called Chalcidoidea. It includes about 22,000 species. They parasitize other insects, spiders, and plants.
