A 125-million-year-old mosquito preserved in Lebanese amber has become the oldest confirmed mosquito ever identified by scientists. The fossils, described in the journal Current Biology, also contain a surprising detail.
The discovery offers rare insight into the early evolution of mosquitoes, one of the world’s most studied groups of insects. The researchers say the fossils suggest that blood-feeding behavior may once have existed in both male and female mosquitoes, unlike modern species where only females feed on blood.
The newly discovered fossils were recovered from Early Cretaceous amber deposits in Lebanon, which are considered among the oldest amber sites containing abundant biological inclusions.
Rare Amber Fossil Reveals a Mysterious Mosquito Ancestor
Researchers identified the specimens as a new species named Libanoculex intermedius. The fossils also led scientists to establish an entirely new extinct mosquito subfamily called Libanoculicinae.
The study published in Current Biology01448-3) states that the fossils push the confirmed existence of mosquitoes approximately30 million years earlier than previously documented fossil evidence. Earlier confirmed mosquito fossils dated to the mid-Cretaceous period, despite molecular studies suggesting the family originated during the Jurassic.
“Molecular dating suggested that the family Culicidae arose during the Jurassic, but previously the oldest record was mid-Cretaceous,” Dr. André Nel of the National Museum of Natural History of Paris explained in comments accompanying the study. “Here, we have one from the Early Cretaceous, about 30 million years before.”
Dr. Dany Azar of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Lebanese University said the amber formed during a time when flowering plants were beginning to spread and pollinators were becoming more diverse. The amber preserved the insects extremely well, letting researchers closely study features like the antennae, wings, and mouthparts. Those details were key to understanding how the insects may have fed.
Male Mosquitoes May Once Have Fed On Blood
The fossils surprised researchers because both specimens were male mosquitoes with long piercing mouthparts and sharp mandibles. In modern mosquitoes, these structures are linked to piercing skin and feeding on blood, even though today’s males do not bite.
“This discovery also suggests that not only were the earliest female mosquitoes hematophagous but males were also in some cases,” the researchers wrote in the paper. “In future work, we want to learn more about the utility of having hematophagy in Cretaceous male mosquitoes.”
The discovery does not yet explain why some male mosquitoes may once have been blood feeders. Researchers say the fossils could still help uncover how early mosquitoes evolved millions of years ago.
Missing Link Found in Mosquito Evolution
The study also carries broader evolutionary significance. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Libanoculex intermedius belonged to a lineage that diverged earlier than another extinct mosquito group known as Burmaculicinae.
That placement helps reduce what scientists refer to as a“ghost-lineage gap,” where molecular evidence predicts the existence of a group before fossils are actually found. Fossils capable of filling those gaps remain relatively rare, especially for fragile insects such as mosquitoes.
The researchers say the discovery provides new insight into mosquito diversity during the Mesozoic Era and offers a clearer timeline for the emergence of blood-feeding adaptations. Dr. Nel added that, “they’re also curious to explore why this no longer exists.”
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.
