Prehistoric Insects in the Jurassic Period

Wasps

• During the Triassic period, the period before the Jurassic, insects began undergoing full metamorphosis from larva to pupa to adult. This set the stage for many modern insects, including wasps, to develop. The modern gall wasp, known for its very small body and simple wing structure, existed during this time. Entomologists report that about 800 species exist in North America. This wasp is known for its alternation of generations, in which a two-sex generation is followed by an asexual generation.

Bees

• Social bees evolved during the Jurassic period and became common during the Cretaceous period. The important role bees play in pollinating plants helped angiosperms -- flowering seed plants -- to evolve. The oldest honeybee that scientists have found fossilized existed during the beginning of the Cretaceous or end of the Jurassic period. The bee is called Trigona prisca and did not have a stinger.

Paragliders

• Scientists have discovered fossils in China and Siberia that have been nicknamed paragliders. They are members of Nakridletia, an extinct order of metamorphosing insect without wings. These insects had large hind legs with grasping mechanisms. These parasites likely lived exclusively on the wings of pterosaurs.

Snakeflies

• Snakeflies still exist and are known for their elongated thorax, thin wings and strong mouthparts. Scientists have found only a single fossilized snakefly belonging to the extinct genus Styporaphidia. This fossil dates to the early to middle Jurassic period and was found in China.

Moths and Butterflies

• The ancestors of modern moths and butterflies lived during the Jurassic. Mesokristensenia is one extinct genus of moth that was likely common during the Jurassic. A team led by scientist Huang Diying discovered the fossilized remains of this moth in 2010, and scientists believe at least three species existed. Unlike most modern moths, Mesokristensenia has four median veins in its forewing.

Beetles

• One of the earliest families of beetles, Necronectinae, evolved in Asia and Europe during the middle or late Jurassic period. They had divided compound eyes and lived in water. Like modern beetles, Jurassic beetles underwent metamorphosis, beginning their lives as larvae.