Beyond the dinosaur era
The insect fossil record extends beyond the dinosaur era. Smithsonian's paleobiology guide describes a major diversification during the Carboniferous, including lineages with different plant-feeding and detritus-feeding habits.
Sources: [1]
Read a fossil insect carefully
Start with the cited summary under each name, then open the exhibit to check exactly what was preserved. The dossier separates a specimen's measurements from a genus-wide estimate and labels feeding or behavioral interpretations. A restored illustration includes choices that the fossil may not settle.
Use the sources to check the animal's identity and the evidence behind its description. These are insect profiles within a wider prehistoric-animal collection; the same game artwork and egg mechanics remain fictional.
Explore prehistoric insects by name
23 linked profiles. Choose a name for the complete exhibit and sources.
A
Alienopterus
Alienopterus combined short forewings, long hindwings and walking legs in a Cretaceous insect related to the roach–mantis lineage. [1]
Angimordella
Angimordella was a Cretaceous beetle preserved with pollen; its specialized pollinator role remains uncertain after reassessment. [1]
Archaboilus
Archaboilus was a Jurassic katydid relative whose fossil wings preserve clues to ancient insect calls. [1]
B
Buccinatormyia
Buccinatormyia was a Cretaceous fly with a long proboscis; a Spanish specimen carried gymnosperm pollen. [1]
C
Caputoraptor
Caputoraptor was a Cretaceous insect with a scissor-like device between its head and thorax; the device’s purpose remains debated. [1]
Cretophasmomima
Cretophasmomima was an early stick-insect relative; Chinese fossils preserve patterned wings and both sexes. [1]
Cretophengodes
Cretophengodes was a Cretaceous beetle whose preserved abdominal organ supports ancient light production. [1]
E
Eophyllium
Eophyllium was an Eocene leaf insect whose fossil abdomen preserves an elaborate camouflage outline. [1]
G
Gerontoformica
Gerontoformica was a stem ant preserved in Cretaceous amber, with fossil evidence informing early cooperation. [1]
H
Haidomyrmex
Haidomyrmex was a Cretaceous hell ant with upcurved jaws; its diet and arboreal habits are anatomical inferences. [1]
Hallucinochrysa
Hallucinochrysa was a Cretaceous lacewing relative whose larva carried fern hairs on elaborate back projections. [1]
J
Juracimbrophlebia
Juracimbrophlebia was a Jurassic hangingfly with wings resembling multilobed ginkgo-like leaves. [1]
Jurassipanorpa
Jurassipanorpa was a Jurassic scorpionfly relative identified through wing veins and unusual bristles. [1]
L
Lichnomesopsyche
Lichnomesopsyche was a Jurassic scorpionfly with a long fluid-feeding proboscis, associated by inference with gymnosperm plants. [1]
M
Makarkinia
Makarkinia was a large Cretaceous lacewing known from distinctive fossil wings, including ringed hindwing eyespots. [1]
Meganeura
Meganeura was a large flying insect from Carboniferous France, known for its expansive wings. [1]
Meganeuropsis
Meganeuropsis was an enormous Permian griffinfly, a relative of dragonflies with distinctive wing venation. [1]
O
P
Prosphex
Prosphex was a small Cretaceous stinging wasp preserved with flowering-plant pollen around its mouth. [1]
Pseudopulex
Pseudopulex was a wingless flea-like insect with long piercing mouthparts and strong claws. [1]
S
Santanmantis
Santanmantis was a small Cretaceous mantis with a short thorax and wings extending well beyond its abdomen. [1]
T
Titanomyrma
Titanomyrma was an Eocene ant genus with strikingly large winged queens and unresolved ecological details. [1]
W
Wathondara
Wathondara was a Cretaceous scale insect whose amber fossil preserves a female, wax egg sac and young. [1]
Sources for this guide
- About Insects (Class Insecta): PaleobiologySmithsonian National Museum of Natural History · Accessed 2026-10-09