Researchers have identified a new species of true bug with large, claw-like appendages on its front legs. This discovery was made from a fossil preserved in 100-million-year-old amber from Myanmar's Kachin region. These claw-like structures, known as chelae, are rare among insects.
Only three other insect groups were previously known to possess such chelae. This fossil represents the fourth independent evolution of these structures in insects. Researchers from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the University of Rostock, and the University of Oulu in Finland examined the fossil. They used micro-computed tomography to create a three-dimensional visualization of its anatomy.
A quantitative morphological analysis compared the fossil's chelae to over two thousand grasping structures from various extinct and living species. The fossil true bug's chelae differed significantly from those found in other insects. Their structure was more similar to those found in more distantly related arthropods, such as crabs, lobsters, and shrimps.
The researchers named the new species *Carcinonepa libererrantes*. The genus name combines the Greek word for "crab" (*carcino-*) with *nepa*, referring to the Nepomorpha group of true water bugs. The species name *libererrantes* is a Latinization of the K-pop group Stray Kids, chosen due to the fossil's posture resembling the group's trademark pose.
*Carcinonepa libererrantes* is classified as a representative of the true water bugs (Nepomorpha) within the true bugs (Heteroptera). Its body structure shows similarities to modern toad bugs (Gelastocoridae). These modern bugs are terrestrial predators. The large chelae were likely used for catching small insects.
The morphology of *C. libererrantes* suggests a similar predatory lifestyle. It likely inhabited a Cretaceous forest, possibly near a coast.
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