This list of 2025 in paleoentomology records new fossil insect taxa described during the year, as well as documents significant paleoentomology discoveries and events which occurred during that year.
Clade Amphiesmenoptera
Lepidopterans
Trichopterans
Trichopteran research
- Caddisfly pupae with a morphology distinct from those of members of known Mesozoic trichopteran groups are described from the Barremian Shouchang Formation (Zhejiang, China) by Zhou & Huang (2025).
- Shcherbakov (2025) reinterprets purported thysanuran Planocephalus aselloides from the Eocene Florissant Formation (Colorado, United States) as a hydropsychid caddisfly and a senior synonym of Hydropsyche scudderi.
- Avrithis (2025) describes a forewing of a member of the genus Phryganea from the Vitala area of Kymi (Euboea, Greece), representing the first finding of a fossil caddisfly from the Early Miocene Anatolian landmass.
Clade Antliophora
Dipterans
Brachycerans
Nematocerans
Other dipterans
Dipteran research
- Fossil material of a mosquito, representing the first record of the family in the Araripe Basin and interpreted as the oldest record of the subfamily Anophelinae, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil) by Oliveira et al. (2025).
- Redescription of Aetheapnomyia hoffeinsorum, based on data from a new specimen from the Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine), is published by Zakrzewska et al. (2025).
- Tabakian (2025) reviews the fossil record of psychodid flies described from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber.
- Herbert et al. (2025) revise the wing morphology in extant and fossil members of the family Phoridae, and present a new interpretation of the wing vein terminology of members of this group.
Mecopterans
Mecopteran research
- Probable permochoristid forewing, representing the first Triassic insect from Antarctica reported to date, is described from the Section Peak Formation in Victoria Land by Lara et al. (2025).
Siphonapterans
Clade Archaeorthoptera
â Caloneurodea
Orthopterans
Orthopteran research
- Evidence of mimicry involving evolution of color patterns of forewings resembling coloration of co-occurring bennettitalean leaves is reported in prophalangopsids from the Middle Jurassic Haifanggou Formation (China) by Fu et al. (2025).
- A baissogryllid specimen preserved with an ovary (representing the first known record of an ovary in an orthopteran fossil) is described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil) by Dias et al. (2025).
Clade Coleopterida
Coleopterans
Adephaga
Archostemata
Polyphaga
Bostrichiformia
Cucujiformia
Elateriformia
Scarabaeiformia
Staphyliniformia
Other Polyphaga
â Protocoleoptera
Coleopteran research
- Bao et al. (2025) redescribe Tigrivia baii.
- Haug et al. (2025) describe new rove beetle larvae from the Cretaceous Kachin amber, compare their morphology to those of lacewing larvae from the same amber and those of extant rove beetle larvae, and interpret their findigs as suggesting that rove beetle larvae diversified after the Cretaceous and substituted the morphologies of Cretaceous lacewing larvae.
- New information on the morphology of Clidicostigus arachnipes is provided by Cao, Liu & Liu (2025).
- Sánchez et al. (2025) argue that purported brood balls of dung beetles from the Eocene La Meseta Formation (Antarctica) are not true trace fossils, and consider Patagonian trace fossils of Coprinisphaera to represent the southernmost known record of this ichnotaxon.
- Cantil et al. (2025) study the fossil record of Coprinisphaera in the Cenozoic of South America, and interpret it as indicating that necrophagy in Scarabaeinae likely originated in Patagonia in the middleâÂÂlate Eocene.
- Haug & Haug (2025) describe a soldier beetle larva from the Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar), preserved with paired openings on its trunk interpreted as indicative of presence of defensive glands.
- Click beetle larvae belonging to the subfamily Pityobiinae and likely to the tribe Tibionemini are identified in the Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kachin amber from Myanmar by Kundrata et al. (2025).
- Linhart et al. (2025) describe new click beetle larvae from the Kachin amber, interpreted as likely wood-associated predators, and preserving evidence of morphological differences with other insect larvae from the same habitat which might be related to ecological differences.
- A study on dermestid larvae from Cretaceous, Eocene and Miocene ambers, providing evidence of presence of longer defensive setae in extinct dermestids compared to extant ones, is published by Le Cadre et al. (2025).
- Batelka, Kundrata & Straka (2025) study the phylogenetic relationships of fossil members of Tenebrionoidea, name new families Wuhuidae, Bellimordellidae and Mirimordellidae, raise the subfamily Praemordellinae to the rank of the family, and assign Yakutia sukachevae to the new subfamily Yakutiinae within the family Mordellidae.
- Ghaedi et al. (2025) describe new insect trace fossils (sinuous channels in wood, probably produced by beetles feeding on wood) from the Campanian strata of the Tarbur Formation (Iran), and name a new ichnotaxon Iranichnus farsensis.
- Schafstall et al. (2025) report the discovery of subfossil beetle remains from Lithuania, providing evidence of presence of cold-adapted species but no evidence of presence of true arctic species during the Weichselian glaciation.
Dermapterans
Dermapteran research
Clade Dictyoptera
Dictyopteran research
- Revision of the roachoid family Poroblattinidae, based on data from new fossils from the Carboniferous strata in Morocco, is published by Belahmira, Schneider & Saber (2025).
- Evidence from the study of a specimen of Ambermantis wozniaki from the Turonian Raritan Formation (New Jersey, United States, interpreted as indicating that the studied mantis had large eyes with a high-resolution vision and a broad binocular visual field, is presented by Taniguchi et al. (2025).
- Edwards et al. (2025) describe a conifer log with tunnels and coprolites produced by termites from the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Aptian) upper Strzelecki Group, representing the earliest fossil evidence of presence of termites in Australia reported to date and their first record from a circumpolar setting.
- Paik et al. (2025) reported termite borings on the surface of a conifer stem, showing similarities to traces of Kalotermitidae, from the Lower Cretaceous Donghwachi Formation, representing the first occurrence of termite traces in Korea.
Hymenopterans
Symphyta
Symphytan research
- New information on the anatomy of Moltenia rieki is provided by Oyama et al. (2025).
Apocrita
Apoidea
Apoid research
- Aiba & Ono (2025) describe a bumblebee queen from the Pleistocene Miyajima Formation (Japan) belonging to the species Bombus cf. diversus and representing the first known fossil of an extant bumblebee species.
- Viñola-López et al. (2025) describe brood cells within cavities of mammal remains from Quaternary deposits in Cueva de Mono (Dominican Republic), likely produced by bees belonging to the family Halictidae, and name a new ichnotaxon Osnidum almontei.
Ceraphronoidea
Chalcidoidea
Chrysidoidea
Diaprioidea
Evanioidea
Formicoidea
Formicoidea research
Ichneumonoidea
Megalyroidea
Pompiloidea
Serphitoidea
Stephanoidea
Vespoidea
Other Apocrita
Hymenopteran research
- A study on the diversification of hymenopterans throughout their evolutionary history, based on data from the fossil record, is published by Jouault et al. (2025).
- Rasnitsyn & Lara (2025) redescribe Potrerilloxyela menendezi.
Clade Neuropterida
Neuropterans
Neuropteran research
- Liu et al. (2025) describe a male specimen of Paradoxoconis longipalpa from the Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar), providing information on wing venation and male genitalia of members of this species.
- Makarkin & Ansorge (2025) redescribe the holotype of Kalligramma haeckeli and revise the subfamily Kalligrammatinae.
- Evidence from the study of larvae preserved in the Cretaceous Kachin amber from Myanmar, interpreted as indicative of greater morphological diversity of nymphid larvae compared to the present, is presented by Buchner et al. (2025).
- Buchner et al. (2025) describe new nemopterid larvae from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, expanding known morphological diversity of larvae in this group.
- Bueno et al. (2025) revise the taxonomy of the genera Cratopteryx, Caririneura and Paracaririneura.
Raphidiopterans
Raphidiopteran research
- Haug et al. (2025) describe two snakefly pupae from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, providing evidence of greater morphological diversity of snakefly pupae in the Cretaceous compared to the present, and probable evidence of differences in the timing of development of Cretaceous snakeflies compared to extant taxa.
Other Neuropterida
Clade â Palaeodictyopteroidea
â Megasecoptera
â Palaeodictyoptera
Other â Palaeodictyopteroidea
Clade Palaeoptera
Ephemeropterans
Ephemeropteran research
Odonatopterans
Odonatopteran research
Palaeopteran research
- A study on the preservation of mayfly and dragonfly fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil) is published by Storari et al. (2025).
Clade â Paoliidea
â Paoliida
Clade Paraneoptera
Hemipterans
Auchenorrhyncha
Coleorrhyncha
Heteroptera
Sternorrhyncha
Hemipteran research
- A study on the past diversity dynamics of hemipterans is published by Boderau, Nel & Jouault (2025).
- Boderau et al. (2025) provide new estimates of timing of origin and diversification of hemipterans.
- Fu et al. (2025) describe a forewing of a member of Cicadomorpha from the Permian (Guadalupian) Yinping Formation (China) with morphological resemblance to Sphenophyllum, representing the earliest evidence of leaf mimicry in hemipterans reported to date.
- The first palaeontinid specimen from the Jiufotang Formation (China), assigned to Ilerdocossus cf. fengningensis, is described by Fabrikant & Davranoglou (2025).
- Purported issid planthoppers Libanissus bkassinensis and Cubicostissus palaeocaeni are reinterpreted as members of the families Mimarachnidae and Cicadellidae, respectively, by Shcherbakov (2025).
- Drohojowska et al. (2025) report the first discovery of a whitefly (a specimen of Pudrica christianottoi) from the Bitterfeld amber (Germany).
- Azar (2025) reports the first discovery of a female specimen of Aradus superstes from the Eocene Baltic amber.
- PetruleviÃÂius (2025) reports the first discovery of a male specimen of Chinchekoala qunita from the Eocene Laguna del Hunco Formation (Argentina).
- Boderau et al. (2025) describe a micronectid specimen from the Eocene Baltic amber representing the first reliable fossil record of a member of this group.
- Kim et al. (2025) study the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil members of the mirid subfamily Isometopinae, and name a new tribe Electroisopini including Eocene taxa.
Psocodea
Psocodean research
- Cai et al. (2025) report the discovery of the oldest louse eggs known to date, found on feathers of a bird belonging to the group Enantiornithes preserved in the Cretaceous Kachin amber from Myanmar.
Thysanoptera
Phasmatodeans
Plecopterans
Plecopteran research
- Chen (2025) describes the first well-preserved genuine stonefly larva from the Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar), possibly representing an undescribed perlid lineage with affinities with Caroperla.
- Review of the fossil record, evolutionary history and biogeography of Systellognatha is published by Kirkaldy et al. (2025).
Clade â Reculida
Other insects
General research
- Evidence from the study of insect feeding traces on pteridosperms from the Permian strata from the Crock locality (Thuringian Forest Basin, Germany), interpreted as the oldest unequivocal traces of leaf-mining reported to date, is presented by LaaÃÂ et al. (2025).
- Luo et al. (2025) study herbivory traces on foliage from the Permian (Wuchiapingian) Wangjiazhai assemblage (China) and nine other Permian plant assemblages, and report evidence indicating that herbivorous insects preferentially targeted broadleaved gigantopterids.
- Dash et al. (2025) revise known record of traces of insect herbivory on fossil leaves fromt the Permian strata of the East Bokaro Coalfield (India).
- A new insect assemblage, dominated by beetles and hemipterans, is described from the Triassic Yanchang Formation (Shaanxi, China) by Wang et al. (2025).
- Evidence from the study of fossil record damage of plants caused by insects, indicating that modern patterns of insect herbivory originated by late Middle Jurassic (60 million years before the beginning of angiosperm dominance in plant assemblages), is presented by Xiao et al. (2025).
- Fu et al. (2025) report the discovery of beetle elytra and potential insect fragments from the Lower Cretaceous Duoni Formation (Tibet, China).
- Mnguni et al. (2025) study the taphonomy of Cretaceous insect fossils from the Orapa Diamond Mine (Botswana), reporting evidence of differences in preservation of fossil found in two sediment types which might originate from different environments.
- Oyama et al. (2025) describe an abdomen of an indeterminate insect from the Santonian Hinoshima Formation and an elytron of a beetle from the Campanian Mitsuse Formation, representing the first Mesozoic insects reported from Kyushu (Japan).
- Ni et al. (2025) report the discovery of two new assemblages of Eocene insect fossils from the Hetaoyuan and Wulidun formations (Henan, China).
- Tello et al. (2025) revise the fossil record of insects from Chile.
References