How Big Were Prehistoric Wasps and Insects?
WouterSeveral hundred millions of years ago, insects were a lot bigger than they are today. They had wings that were up to two feet long and they had bodies that were several inches in size. They were carnivorous and probably ate larger animals. The largest prehistoric insect was probably the Arthropluera, which was an eight-foot long sea scorpion.
Several other giant insect species were discovered. They were much larger than today’s horntail wood-wasps and flies. Among the species was the Megarhyssa macrurus, which was a member of the Ichneumonidae family and was four inches long. It did not sting like most wasps. It also had a transparent wingspan.
Another large species was the Apis lithohermaea, a giant honey bee. It lived during the Miocene period. It has a Greek name for “stone”. This species is also called the herald of Greek gods. It was a very active flyer.
In addition to these giant insects, researchers discovered several other species. They are all members of a superfamily called Chalcidoidea, which includes around 22,000 different species. This superfamily parasitizes other insects, including spiders and wasps.
Researchers also discovered several parasitic wasps that were similar to modern species. They used sophisticated scans to examine fossilized fly pupae from about 23 to 66 million years ago. They found 55 cases of parasitisation in these fossils. Scientists then sorted the samples into proper families. They found four new species. One of these species is called Ypresiosirex orthosemos.
