Ancient Insect With Crab-Like Claws Discovered in Amber

A 100-million-year-old insect with crab-like claws on its front legs has been discovered in amber from Myanmar. This unique feature, known as chelae, is rare among insects. Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) identified the true bug (Heteroptera).

The discovery marks only the fourth known instance of such structures evolving independently in insects. The LMU team, collaborating with researchers from the University of Rostock and the University of Oulu, Finland, studied the fossil. They used micro-computed tomography to create detailed three-dimensional (3D) images of the insect's anatomy.

Their analysis revealed that the claws differed significantly from those found in other insects. Instead, they resembled the pincers of distant arthropods like decapods (crabs, lobsters, and shrimp) and tanaids. The insect was assigned to a new genus, *Carcinonepa*, combining the Latinized Greek term for "crab" with *nepa*, referencing true water bugs.

The species was named *Carcinonepa libererrantes*. This name is a Latinization of the K-pop group Stray Kids. One of the paper's authors, Fenja Haug, chose the name because the fossil's chelae posture resembled the group's trademark pose.

Researchers classified *Carcinonepa libererrantes* within the true water bug group (Nepomorpha). Its body shares similarities with modern Gelastocoridae, also known as toad bugs. These are land-dwelling predators.

The insect's morphology suggests it was a predator in a Cretaceous forest, possibly near the coast. Its oversized chelae were likely used to seize and hold small insect prey. The findings were published in the journal *Insects*.