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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA nearly complete female cicada fossil from Germany’s Messel Pit has been identified as a new species, Eoplatypleura messelensis. The specimen is approximately 47.22 million years old, making it the earliest confirmed fossil record of the cicada subfamily Cicadinae anywhere in the world and the oldest true cicada formally described from Europe.
What the Messel Pit fossil is
Researchers formally described Eoplatypleura messelensis in a peer-reviewed paper in Scientific Reports in 2025. Senckenberg announced the discovery on 29 April 2025. The insect lived during the Eocene, when the area around modern Darmstadt had a warm, subtropical climate.
The fossil represents the tribe Platypleurini, a group within Cicadinae. It is the first Platypleurini record from the Eocene Messel Pit and the first formally described singing cicada from that site.
How old is it?
The study gives the specimen an age of approximately 47.22 million years. That date places it firmly in the Eocene Epoch and makes it older than a molecular estimate of roughly 39 million years for the divergence of Platypleurini cited by the authors. Its presence suggests that some evolutionary timelines based only on molecular data may have placed the group’s origin too recently.
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What the fossil looks like
This is an unusually complete adult female. The body measures about 26.5 millimeters long, and the wings span 68.2 millimeters. The broad forewings have a noticeably curved leading edge, while the head is compact. Distinctive wing and body patterning is visible in the slab.
| Feature | Measurement or identification |
|---|---|
| Species | Eoplatypleura messelensis |
| Geological age | Approximately 47.22 million years; Eocene |
| Sex and life stage | Adult female |
| Body length | Approximately 26.5 mm |
| Wingspan | 68.2 mm |
| Classification | Tribe Platypleurini, subfamily Cicadinae |
| Preservation | Almost completely preserved |
Why this discovery matters
The earliest confirmed Cicadinae fossil
The authors identify Eoplatypleura messelensis as the earliest confirmed fossil record of Cicadinae worldwide. Senckenberg describes it as the oldest true cicada described from Europe. The distinction matters because “cicada” can be used broadly for related insects, whereas this specimen is assigned to the modern cicada family Cicadidae and, more specifically, to Cicadinae.
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A dated point for evolutionary studies
Fossils with a reliable geological age can anchor molecular-clock analyses, which estimate when lineages split by comparing DNA from living species. This specimen supplies a minimum-age calibration point for cicada evolution and for future analyses of Platypleurini and related lineages.
New information from an insect-rich site
At least 44 Cenozoic cicada fossil finds have been documented in the context discussed by Senckenberg, but this Messel specimen is singled out for its age, completeness and secure Cicadinae identification. Insects make up a major part of Messel’s fossil biodiversity, so each well-preserved insect adds evidence about the structure of Eocene ecosystems.
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Where it was found
The fossil came from the oil shales of the Messel Pit near Darmstadt, Germany. Messel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for preserving delicate organisms in exceptional detail. Fine-grained lake sediments captured insects, plants and vertebrates that lived around the ancient lake and its surrounding subtropical woodland.
The specimen is deposited in the collection of invertebrates from the Messel Pit at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt.
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Did this individual sing?
No direct evidence shows this particular fossilized female producing a call, and a fossil cannot preserve a sound recording. The classification indicates that males of the Platypleurini group were capable of producing loud mating calls, as males do in living singing cicadas. That behavior is inferred from the group’s biology rather than observed in this individual.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What its markings may have done
Dr. Hui Jiang, the study’s first author, noted that the fossil’s patterns resemble those of modern Platypleurini that live in woods and scrubland. Because the Messel region had subtropical vegetation about 47 million years ago, similar markings may have helped the insect blend into its surroundings. Camouflage is a plausible ecological interpretation, not a directly observed behavior.
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Best Value
- Multiple Color Options – This exquisite set includes 18 amber specimens in three styles: amber, transparent, and night-glow, with 6 pieces in each style. Each piece is unique in shape, size, and insect specimen, offering delightful surprises with every collection.
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How it compares with the broader cicada fossil record
The Messel fossil’s importance comes from the combination of age, taxonomic certainty and preservation. Other fossil cicadas may represent different geological periods, localities or taxonomic levels, but the available evidence identifies this specimen as the earliest confirmed Cicadinae record worldwide. Its nearly complete body and measurable wings also make it more informative than an isolated wing fragment for comparing anatomy with living cicadas.
| Comparison criterion | Messel specimen |
|---|---|
| Geological age | Approximately 47.22 million years |
| Taxonomic level | Cicadidae; Cicadinae; Platypleurini |
| Locality | Messel Pit, near Darmstadt, Germany |
| Completeness | Almost completely preserved adult |
| Dimensions | 26.5 mm body; 68.2 mm wingspan |
| Evolutionary use | Provides a fossil calibration point for molecular studies |
What remains uncertain
- The fossil is female, so it does not preserve the male sound-producing structures or demonstrate that this individual called.
- Color in the original insect may not be preserved exactly; the ecological interpretation of the visible patterning is based on comparison with living Platypleurini.
- The specimen establishes a minimum age for the lineage in calibration analyses, not the exact moment when all Platypleurini or Cicadinae evolved.
The Bottom Line
Eoplatypleura messelensis is a 47.22-million-year-old female cicada from Germany’s Messel Pit. Its exceptional completeness and secure placement in Cicadinae make it the earliest confirmed fossil record of that subfamily and a valuable calibration point for reconstructing cicada evolution.
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