Recently, Ancient pinnate leaf mimesis, the newest research findings of Dr. Wang Xin from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and research team led by professor Ren Dong from Capital Normal University is published in online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. On September 9th, this research progress is briefly introduced in Nature. In the article, they mention clear specific mimesis between insects and gymnosperms living in the middle Jurassic (165 Ma), which suggests that a breakthrough has been made in the study of co-evolution between insects and gymnosperms.

The research team discovers, two very rare Neuropteran specimens with pinnate wing spots from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Formation,. The wing spot of such insect is very similar to the leaf of cycads in the same period. They thus infer that such insect might have inhabited a kind of plant similar to it in shape or it has fed on such plant. In addition, they find that such insect might have a kind of special ability, i.e. “behavior adaptability”. Its wings spread when still. Its whole body stays on the plant, which is similar in appearance to a leaf fluttering in the wind. Such ability can better protect this insect from different predators.

Wang Y, Liu Z, Wang X, Shih C, Zhao Y, Engel MS, Ren D. 2010. Ancient pinnate leaf mimesis among lacewings. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Aug 30. [Epub ahead of print]