PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY

NAME : SAYAN LODH

UG – 2 SEMESTER – 3

REGISTRATION NUMBER - 17106110022

ROLL NUMBER – 022

PAPER CODE – BIOS0332

DEPARTMENT - HISTORY

TOPIC - KNOWN INSECTS OF UNKNOWN WORLD

ABSTRACT

Since time immemorial, many species which at one time roamed the surface of the Earth

have become extinct. They now exist only as fossilized remains or as displays in the

museums. Insects are no exception. Many insects are now extinct. Some perished

millions of years ago, whereas a few disappeared only recently. The title of the Paper is

“Known Insects of Unknown World ” . It begins with a general discussion about insects –

their importance, origin of the term ‘insect’, etc. It is followed by detailed discussion

about five extinct insects. Three of them are pre historic – Manipulator cockroach,

Meganeuropsis griffinfly ( ancestor of dragonfly ), and rhyniognatha. Whereas the remaining

two became extinct only in late 19th to very early 20th century - Sloane’s Urania moth

and Rocky Mountain locust. The Paper concludes with the importance for preserving the

insects. Relevant illustrations and footnotes have been provided wherever necessary. The

Paper includes both the primary and secondary sources and is open to different

interpretations for the readers.

INTRODUCTION

The word " insect " comes from the  Latin  word insectum ( used by Pliny the Elder ),

meaning " with a notched or divided body ", or literally " cut into ",  because insects appear

"cut into" three sections. The Latin word is further derived

from the Greek word ἔντομος (Entomos ) used by Aristotle

to refer to the notched body of the insects. The study of

insects is known as Entomology.

Insects are the most diverse lineage of all life in numbers

of species, and ecologically they dominate terrestrial

ecosystems.  Insects are hexapod ( ie. posses 6 legs ) invertebrates and the largest group

within the phylum arthropod. They belong to the class insecta. Insects generally posses

two pairs of wings, three pairs of legs and one pair of COLLAGE SHOWING DIVERSE SPECIES OF
INSECTS
antennae. Insects have a three part body - head, thorax,
Courtesy -
https://commons.wikimedia.org/
abdomen; covered by a chitinous exoskeleton.
wiki/File:Insect_collage.png#globa
lusage
Insect growth is constrained by the inelastic exoskeleton

and development involves a series a series of molts ( ie. shedding of skin ). Adult insects

typically move about by walking, flying, or sometimes swimming.

Insects play many beneficial roles for Humans as pollinators, producers ( silk, honey, etc. ),

controllers of harmful plants and insects, cleaners of refuse, recyclers of nutrients, etc.

They are also used for forensic entomology, treatment of certain medical conditions

(Maggot Debridement Therapy ), education , food ( source of protein ).

But certain insects are regarded as  pests, and controlled using insecticides, and a host of

other specialized techniques. Some insects damage crops by feeding on sap, leaves, fruits,

or wood. Some species are  parasitic, and may  carry  diseases ( mosquito ) like malaria,

dengue, etc. Insects like termites destroy furniture.

Fossilized insects of enormous size have been found from the Paleozoic  Era, including 

huge dragonflies  with wingspans of 55 to 70 cm ( 22 to 28 in ). The most diverse insect

groups appear to have  co-evolved  with  flowering plants.

MANIPULATOR COCKROACH

Manipulator cockroach ( scientific name – Manipulator modificaputis ) is an extinct predatory

insect that lived during the Upper Cretaceous period, about

100 million years ago. It looked little like its modern

relatives the cockroach and praying mantis. It was a tiny

monster measuring just about 4.5mm in length and 2mm in

Manipulator Trapped in Amber
width.
Courtesy
-http://www.fossilmall.com/fossils/m
Its fossils were found fossilized ya08/manipulator-cretaceous-fossil-
in a 100 million year old
amber-cockroach.htm

piece of amber, in a quarry of volcanoclastic mudstone

( a sedimentary rock ) at Noije Bum in the Hukawng Valley in  Myanmar. It was

discovered by German researcher Ziggi Ellenber.

The cockroach was found to have an elongated neck, a freely rotating head and

unexpectedly long legs, hence indicating a predatory lifestyle.  The cockroach also had a

narrow body and wings, elongated mouthparts, and an extra set of modified eyes located

on the top of its head, which likely helped it spot predators, such as the feathered

dinosaurs living at the time. These unique features made it look like a chimera of crane

fly, praying mantis and a cockroach.

According to Peter Vršanský of the Geological Institute SAS of  Bratislava, “ This little

monster was a solitary hunter, able to run very fast, with a body unlike the vast

majority of cockroaches of the present world, it posed high above ground, frequently

taking flight when necessary, and seizing its prey with strong short spines developed on

its extremely long feet. ” 1

MEGANEUROPSIS GRIFFINLY ( DRAGONFLY )

The largest known insect known to have inhabited the surface of the Earth was a

prehistoric dragonfly like creature Meganeuropsis permiana. It belonged to the genus

griffinfly. This insect lived during the Artinskian age of the late Permian era, about 275

million years ago.

1
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150502-ancient-predatory-cockroach-found
Fossilized remains of Meganeuropsis permiana was discovered at Elmo, Kansas in 1937.

It had a reconstructed wing length of 13 inches, a

wingspan of 28 inches, and a body length of about

17 inches from head to tail.

It had a smaller cousin Meganeuropsis americana,

with a wing length of 12 inches and a wing span

Reconstructed image of Meganeuropsis permeana
of 27 inches. Its fossilized wing was found in
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/20639159539905395
6/
Oklahoma in 1940. The fossil is currently displayed

at Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Meganeuropsis had a number of features suggesting a highly predaceous lifestyle. Among

these was a pair of toothed and powerful mandibles for tackling large, struggling prey.

They also had very spiny front limbs. Griffinflies were also possibly very maneuverable

in the air, like their modern day relatives the dragonflies. This primitive griffinly used to

prey on other herbivorous insects. Baby griffinlies spent some time in the water. 2

2
http://www.eartharchives.org/articles/the-biggest-insect-ever-was-a-huge-dragonfly/
RHYNIOGNATHA – THE OLDEST INSECT

Rhyniognatha ( scientific name – Rhynionatha histri ) is considered the oldest known insect

in the world. It roamed the planet in the Early Devonian period around 400 million years

ago. It was a part of Earth’s first terrestrial ecosystem. It’s

fossilized remains were collected in 1919, preserved in

Rhynie ( Old Scottish Red Sandsone ) near Aberdeen in

Scotland, by Reverend W. Cran.

In 1920’s, Australian Entomologist, Robin John Tillyard

studied the creature and named it Rhyniognatha histri in

1928. It was later donated by D. J. Scourfield to the  Natural

History Museum  in  London  where it is currently displayed

Rhyniognatha histri
on a microscope slide.
Courtesy -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canvas-
Very little information is available about this insect as only Artwork-of-Rhyniognatha-hirsti/dp/
B00S09AVX4
one of its fossils have been unearthed. But recent

researches by US entomologists like David Grimaldi have put forward the fact that

Rhyniognatha possesses all the hallmarks of being a true insect. It possessed scissor like

jaw mouthparts or mandibles, with which it chewed it’s food. Its large mandibles may or

may not have been used for hunting prey.

The insect’s anatomy might give a few clues to what it ate. Though much is not known

about its food habits, like other insects of its time,  Rhyniognatha  presumably fed on
plant  sporophylls — which occur at the tips of branches and bear  sporangia, the spore –

producing organs.

Rhyniognatha histri shared many characteristics with winged insects, specially it’s

mandible structure ( only found in winged insects ). This points towards the fact that

Rhyniognatha was a winged insect that could fly, although wings do not appear in the

fossil. According to US Entomologist Engel, “ The fossil came from hot springs, and

unfortunately, boiling water is not a good place for a wing to be preserved. ” 3

SLOANE’S URANIA

Sloane’s Urania ( scientific name – Urania sloanus ) was a moth endemic to Jamaica , last

reported in 1895, but possibly continued till 1907. It is still regarded as one of the most

beautiful of all moths. Pieter Cramer first described Urania sloanus and named it in

honour of English collector Sir Hans Sloane.4 Philip Henry Gosse described the life

history of Urania sloanus in vivid detail in the 1850's to 1880's.

The Sloane’s moth was black in colour with iridescent

red, blue and green markings. The iridescent parts of

the wings lack pigments, the colour originates from the

refraction of light by the ribbon like scales covering its

3
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4671-oldest-insect-hints-at-dawn-of-flight/
4
http://eol.org/pages/384714/details

Sloane’s Urania

Courtesy -
https://entomologymanchester.wordpress.com/
wings. It had a wingspan of 64 to 76 mm; and representative forewing lengths of 35 mm

for male and 57 mm for female. It’s bright colours advertised as a warning the fact, that

it was toxic.

Unlike other moths which are active mostly at night, Sloane’s Urania was day flying

moth. Based on current knowledge of the species, it is likely that Sloane's moth

migrated between patches of host plants, after population explosions locally defoliated

them. This probably required relatively large, intact areas of lowland forest.

Possible causes for its extinction may have been cyclones, extreme population cyclicity,

and habitat destruction. The most probable cause could have been the loss of host plants,

that might include Omphalea diandra, a plant once reported from Jamaica.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOCUST

The Rocky Mountain Locust ( scientific name – Melanoplus spretus )  is an  extinct species 

of  locust  that roamed through the western half of the United States and some western

portions of Canada until the end of the 19th

century. Sightings often placed their swarms in

Rocky Mountain Locust

numbers far larger than any other locust species, with one famous sighting in 1875

estimated at 198,000 square miles in size

( greater than the area of California ), weighing 27.5 million tons and consisting of about

12.5 trillion insects, the greatest concentration of animals ever speculatively guessed,

according to  Guinness Book of World Records.

The name ‘spretus’ means despised, pointing towards the fact that it was overlooked by

entomologists. At one time it swarmed over the great plains, prairies and on both sides

of the Rocky Mountains. They were often guaranteed a good food supply by prairie

plants which concentrate  sugars  in their stalks in times of drought. Movement of the

locusts was assisted by a low - level  jet stream  that persists through much of central

North America. They thrived in hot and dry conditions.

It was a major pest in North America. But about 30 years later, it became extinct with

the last sighting occurring in Southern Canada in 1902. The locusts caused a lot of

harm especially to food crops in North America in the 19th century. The cause of their

extinction is unknown. It has been hypothesized that plowing and  irrigation  by settlers in

the Great Plains, particularly alongside the Mississippi river, disrupted their natural life

cycle in the areas they lived in between swarms.

CONCLUSION
Out of the Five insects studied, Nature was responsible for the extinction of the First

three large insects; but the disappearance of the next two small ones was man made.

Due to the decreasing levels of oxygen on the Earth’s surface , it is no longer possible

for insects to grow to the size of their gigantic ancestors.

We as Humans have certain responsibilities towards other animals and plants. We should

preserve the available flora and fauna for the future generations. The insects and other

invertebrates that constitute a large part of the animal kingdom, are often the most

neglected. Instilling awareness about the conservation of the wildlife among the young

minds is perhaps the easiest way at taking a step towards the conservation of wildlife.

Moreover, the insects will be able to survive without humans, but humans cannot survive

without the insects. Without the insects many consumables from flowers to fruits to

vegetables will not be available.

‘ If we and the rest of the back - boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of

the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the

world’s ecosystems would collapse. ’ – Sir David Attenborough5

BIBLIOGRAPHY

5
https://www.lostspeciesday.org/?p=689
Referred Links :

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150502-ancient-predatory-cockroach-found

http://www.eartharchives.org/articles/the-biggest-insect-ever-was-a-huge-dragonfly/

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4671-oldest-insect-hints-at-dawn-of-flight/

http://eol.org/pages/384714/details

https://www.lostspeciesday.org/?p=689