The Middle Triassic Lagerstätte of Monte San Giorgio Reveals the Oldest Lace Bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae): Archetingis Ladinica Gen N. Sp N.

Paleontologists have uncovered the oldest known lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) in the Middle Triassic lagerstätte of Monte San Giorgio, pushing back the origin of this insect family by approximately 140 million years. The newly described species, Archetingis ladinica, exhibits distinctive features such as thick femurs and an exceptional size (~12 mm), resembling modern Tingidae in key morphological traits like hemelytra, pronotum, and bucculae structure. This discovery not only provides critical insights into the evolutionary history of lace bugs but also suggests the presence of terrestrial ecosystems with vegetation near the depositional environment during the Middle Triassic period.

MONTAGNA, M. A. T. T. E. O., STRADA, L. A. U. R. A., DIOLI, P. A. R. I. D. E., & TINTORI, A. N. D. R. E. A. (2018). THE MIDDLE TRIASSIC LAGERSTÄTTE OF MONTE SAN GIORGIO REVEALS THE OLDEST LACE BUGS (HEMIPTERA: TINGIDAE): ARCHETINGIS LADINICA GEN N. SP N. Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research In Paleontology and Stratigraphy), V. 124, N. 1 (2018). https://doi.org/10.13130/2039-4942/9623