Today, insects are the most species-rich group of animals on earth. They are known to be ancient, but what is the oldest insect ever discovered? What is the oldest living insect?
Insects were one of the first land animals to evolve on Earth. They appeared about 480 million years ago when land plants evolved onto the scene. We will talk about the oldest insect discovered and some of the oldest insects alive today.
what is an insect
Insects are animals that consume organic food, breathe oxygen, and need to reproduce. There are millions of different species of insects and they make up 70% of the identified species on the planet. They are the only winged invertebrates, and ecosystems depend on insects for pollinators, food sources, and decomposers.
Insects are arthropods, and all arthropods share certain characteristics. These features are pairs of legs with joints, the presence of an exoskeleton and a segmented body. Insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods are all arthropods.
What distinguishes an insect from other arthropods is the number of segments it has in its body. Insects have three segmented parts: abdomen, thorax, and head. Insects strictly have six legs, while other arthropods vary.
Read on to learn more about the oldest insect ever discovered!
What is the oldest fossilized insect ever discovered?
The oldest fossilized insect ever discovered is the extinct Rhyniognatha hirsti. It lived about 400 million years ago during the early Devonian period.
It is disputed whether this beetle was a centipede or an insect. If it was an insect, the animal may not have fossilized wings, as its mouthparts resemble those of a modern mayfly.
It was discovered in Scotland on the Isle of Kerrera in the first half of the twentieth century. In 2004, scientists examined the fossil for the first time in about 80 years and found that it was much older than previously thought.
What is the oldest insect ever discovered that is still alive today?
Silverfish date back to around 250 million years ago.
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The oldest living insect species are silverfish. They date from around 250 million years ago and lived with the dinosaurs. A direct relative of them could be Rhyniognatha hirsti from 400 million years ago.
They have remained relatively unchanged for millions of years and likely look very similar to their ancient fossil ancestor. They have always been wingless as none of their ancestors ever developed the ability to fly.
Their segments have a silver sheen. Silverfish are able to regenerate lost antennae and scales. Their scales shed easily, which allows them to evade predators.
Silverfish are not dangerous, although they can stain fabric and contaminate food. They enjoy eating granola, vegetables, grains and sugar. These items must be kept in airtight containers if a silverfish infestation occurs.
They do not transmit diseases harmful to humans or pets. Humid areas without direct sunlight attract these insects, so they often hide in corners or basements.
What are the oldest flying insects alive today?
The oldest living flying insects are mayflies.
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The oldest living flying insects are mayflies. A 300-million-year-old fossil has been found in Massachusetts that shows the imprint of a mayfly that landed in the mud.
Self-propelled flying by insects only fully evolved about 90 million years ago. However, the wings of this mayfly show that a form of flying with beetles has been around for much longer than originally thought. There were also visible claws on this bug.
Mayflies are an ancient food source that are still eaten by some people. They are high in protein and sometimes occur in huge swarms, making them an accessible food choice.
In the African Great Lakes region, residents around Lake Malawi make kunga cakes from mayflies. Mayflies form huge visible clouds over the lakes that swarm them and are easy to catch. They are then pressed into large cakes until most of the moisture is removed and the mass is baked.
Which insect has the longest lifespan?
A large termite mound in Namibia.
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African termite queens have the longest lifespans of any insect. They live between 30 and 50 years. Termite queens are busy, laying tens of thousands of eggs every day.
Termites practice eusociality, meaning they are highly organized in various ways. They share childcare, multiple generations coexist, and work is divided between different castes. Breeding occurs only between a very small number of kings and queens.
When a king and queen find each other, they burrow underground to mate. They never show up again and their termite mound starts around and above them. Her children become workers, tending to the queen and raising the eggs while the male sits nearby.
When a queen has enlarged to accommodate the massive amounts of eggs she lays, she begins to sweat. Their workers keep them clean by licking away these liquids. When a termite queen is no longer productive, her workers lick all the fats and fluids from her body, resulting in her death.
How old was the oldest recorded spider?
The oldest spider ever recorded was number 16, who lived to be 43 years old. She was a female trapdoor spider that lived on a reserve in Western Australia. Before she was observed, scientists thought that spiders of her type lived a maximum of 25 years.
On October 31, 2016, a researcher reviewed number 16. A spider wasp had compromised the silk plug guarding its burrow, and the burrow itself lay in ruins. Number 16 had been alive at a previous inspection 6 months ago.
Trapdoor spiders earned their name because of the way they dash out of their burrows. They create a hinged door or plug that swings to their home in front of the hole. If an animal gets close enough, the spider will leap out of its burrow to grab its meal and drag it inside.
We hope you enjoyed this article and learned more about the oldest insects ever recorded!
