Overview

• Researchers analyzed 16 female specimens of Sirenobethylus charybdis preserved in 99-million-year-old amber from Myanmar's Kachin region.
• The wasp's abdomen features a unique, three-flap structure resembling a Venus flytrap, likely used to trap prey during egg-laying.
• This extinct species has been classified into a new insect family, Sirenobethylidae, within the Chrysidoidea superfamily.
• The discovery highlights a greater diversity of parasitoid strategies in ancient insects compared to modern Chrysidoidea species.
• Ethical concerns about amber sourcing from Myanmar's politically unstable Kachin region accompany the study's findings.