99-Million-Year-Old Wasp with Venus Flytrap-Like Anatomy Identified as New Insect Family

Sirenobethylus charybdis, preserved in amber, reveals unprecedented parasitoid strategies and evolutionary adaptations from the mid-Cretaceous period.

Researchers from Capital Normal University and the Natural History Museum of Denmark identified Sirenobethylus charybdis as a new species and likely a new insect family, Sirenobethylidae.
The wasp's unique three-flap abdominal structure, resembling a Venus flytrap, was likely used to capture and immobilize prey during egg-laying.
Micro-CT scanning of 16 female specimens from Myanmar's Kachin region revealed detailed anatomical adaptations, including sensory hairs that may have triggered the grasping mechanism.
The findings suggest that Chrysidoidea insects in the mid-Cretaceous period displayed a broader range of parasitoid strategies compared to their modern counterparts.
This discovery underscores the role of amber in preserving delicate anatomical details and provides new insights into insect evolution during the age of dinosaurs.