Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Amphibious flies and paedomorphism in the Jurassic period

Nature volume 495, pages 94–97 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The species of the Strashilidae (strashilids) have been the most perplexing of fossil insects from the Jurassic period of Russia and China1,2. They have been widely considered to be ectoparasites of pterosaurs or feathered dinosaurs, based on the putative presence of piercing and sucking mouthparts and hind tibio-basitarsal pincers purportedly used to fix onto the host’s hairs or feathers1,2,3,4,5,6. Both the supposed host and parasite occur in the Daohugou beds from the Middle Jurassic epoch of China (approximately 165 million years ago)7,8. Here we analyse the morphology of strashilids from the Daohugou beds, and reach markedly different conclusions; namely that strashilids are highly specialized flies (Diptera) bearing large membranous wings, with substantial sexual dimorphism of the hind legs and abdominal extensions. The idea that they belong to an extinct order2 is unsupported, and the lineage can be placed within the true flies. In terms of major morphological and inferred behavioural features, strashilids resemble the recent (extant) and relict members of the aquatic fly family Nymphomyiidae. Their ontogeny are distinguished by the persistence in adult males of larval abdominal respiratory gills, representing a unique case of paedomorphism among endopterygote insects. Adult strashilids were probably aquatic or amphibious, shedding their wings after emergence and mating in the water.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Strashila daohugouensis sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic epoch of Daohugou, China.
Figure 2: Vosila sinensis from the Middle Jurassic epoch of Daohugou, China.
Figure 3: Strashila daohugouensis sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic epoch of Daohugou, China.
Figure 4: Ecological reconstruction of Strashila daohugouensis sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic epoch of Daohugou, China.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rasnitsyn, A. P. Strashila incredibilis, a new enigmatic mecopteroid insect with possible siphonapteran affinities from the Upper Jurassic of Siberia. Psyche (Stuttg.) 99, 323–334 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Vršanský, P., Ren, D. & Shih, C. Nakridletia ord. n. – enigmatic insect parasites support sociality and endothermy of pterosaurs. AMBA Projekty 8, 1–16 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Labandeira, C. in The Fossil Record of Predation (eds Kowalevski, M. & Kelley, P. H. ) 211–249 Paleontological Society Special Papers, Vol. 8 (Paleontological Society, Yale Printing Service, 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Grimaldi, D. A. & Engel, M. S. Evolution of the Insects (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gao, T.-P., Shih, C., Xu, X., Wang, S. & Ren, D. Mid-Mesozoic flea-like ectoparasites of feathered or haired vertebrates. Curr. Biol. 22, 732–735 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Poinar, G. O., Jr Palaeontology: the 165-million-year itch. Curr. Biol. 22, R278–R280 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Wang, X., Zhou, Z., Zhang, F. & Xu, X. A nearly completely articulated rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur with exceptionally well-preserved wing membranes and ‘hairs’ from Inner Mongolia, northeast China. Chin. Sci. Bull. 47, 226–230 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang, F., Zhou, Z., Xu, X., Wang, X. & Sullivan, C. A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran from China with elongate ribbon-like feathers. Nature 455, 1105–1108 (2008)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Huang, D. Diversity of Jurassic insects—exemplified by Daohugou fauna. Front. Earth Sci. 17 (special issue). 149–150 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Huang, D., Engel, M. S., Cai, C., Wu, H. & Nel, A. Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China. Nature 483, 201–204 (2012)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wood, D. M. in Proc. 2nd Int. Congress Dipterol (eds Weismann, L., Országh, I. & Pont, A. C. ) 255–284 (SPB Academic Publishing, 1991)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Crampton, G. C. The genitalia of male Diptera and Mecoptera compared with those of related insects, from the standpoint of phylogeny. Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 48, 207–225 (1922)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Willmann, R. Das exoskelett der mannlichen genitalien der Mecoptera (Insecta). 1. Morphologie. Zeit. Zool. Syst. Evolutionsf. 19, 96–150 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Courtney, G. W. Biosystematics of the Nymphomyiidae (Insecta: Diptera): life history, morphology, and phylogenetic relationships. Smith. Cont. Zool. No. 550 (Smithsonian Institution, 1994)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kevan, D. K., McE & Cutten-Ali-Khan, F. E. A. Canadian Nymphomyiidae (Diptera). Can. J. Zool. 53, 853–866 (1975)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kevan, D. K., McE & Cutten, F. E. A. in Manual of Nearctic Diptera Vol. 1 (eds McAlpine, J. F. et al. ) 203–207 (Research Branch, Agricultural Canada Monograph, 1981)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Furth, D. G. & Suzuki, K. The metatibial extensor and flexor tendons in Coleoptera. Syst. Entomol. 15, 443–448 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Daugeron, C., Plant, A., Winkler, I., Stark, A. & Baylac, M. Extreme male leg polymorphic asymmetry in a new empidine dance fly (Diptera: Empididae). Biol. Lett. 7, 11–14 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Richmond, E. A. Studies on the biology of the aquatic Hydrophilidae. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 42, 1–94 (1920)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Barclay, A., Portman, R. W. & Hill, P. S. M. Tracheal gills of the dobsonfly larvae, or hellgrammite Corydalus cornutus L. (Megaloptera: Corydalidae). J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 78, 181–185 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Speidel, W. Studies on the phylogeny of the Acentropinae (Lepidoptera, Crambidae). Mém. Soc. R. Belge Entomol. 38, 25–30 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ide, F. P. A fly of the archaic family Nymphomyiidae (Diptera) from North America. Can. Entomologist 97, 496–507 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wagner, R., Hoffeins, C. & Hoffeins, H. W. A fossil nymphomyiid (Diptera) from the Baltic and Bitterfeld amber. Syst. Entomol. 25, 115–120 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Štys, P. & Soldan, T. Retention of tracheal gills in adult Ephemeroptera and other insects. Acta Univ. Carol. (Biol.) 1978, 409–435 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Marden, J. H. & Thomas, M. A. Rowing locomotion by a stonefly that possesses the ancestral pterygote condition of co-occurring wings and abdominal gills. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 79, 341–349 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cao, C.-Q. et al. Respiratory system and respiratory behaviors of the larva of Neoneuromus ignobilis. Chin. J. Appl. Entomol. 48, 392–396 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Cutten, F. E. A. & Kevan, D. K. McE. The Nymphomyiidae (Diptera), with special reference to Palaeodipteron walkeri Ide and its larva in Quebec, and a description of a new genus and species from India. Can. J. Zool. 48, 1–24 (1970)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to C. C. Labandeira for suggestions; A. P. Rasnitsyn for early discussions; and J. Sun for reconstructions. Financial support was provided by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB821903), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91114201 and J1210006), the Outstanding Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2012049), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-QN104), and the US National Science Foundation (DEB-0542909).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China,

    Diying Huang, Chenyang Cai & Qibin Lin

  2. CNRS UMR 7205, CP 50, Entomologie, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris F-75005, France,

    André Nel

  3. Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    Michael S. Engel

  4. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    Michael S. Engel

Authors
  1. Diying Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. André Nel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chenyang Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qibin Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michael S. Engel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

D.H., A.N., C.C., Q.L. and M.S.E. participated in morphological studies, D.H. designed the program, D.H., A.N. and M.S.E. prepared the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diying Huang.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Additional information

The LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:85DDCF37-C0D1-45C0-80B3-463E9D19ECE1 has been deposited in ZooBank.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

This file contains Supplementary Text, Supplementary References, Supplementary Figures 1-8 and Supplementary Table 1. (PDF 2866 kb)

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huang, D., Nel, A., Cai, C. et al. Amphibious flies and paedomorphism in the Jurassic period. Nature 495, 94–97 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11898

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11898

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing