Three whitefly species preserved as immature-stage remains in Myanmar amber dating to about 100 million years ago give scientists unusually detailed evidence about early whitefly evolution. A 2026 study describes their upper and lower body surfaces and traces of wax—features rarely preserved together in fossil whiteflies. The fossils refine what researchers can infer about the group’s early history; they do not rewrite or settle the whole story.
What did scientists find in Myanmar amber?
Caballero and coauthors described three extinct whitefly species in a 2026 study published in PeerJ. The specimens are puparia preserved in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber, dated to approximately 100 million years ago:
- Palaeoaleuroclava grandirostrata and Cretacerifera mranmaense, assigned to the subfamily Aleyrodinae.
- Cenomaleurodicus multiporu, assigned to Aleurodicinae.
The study identifies these as the first known whitefly puparia with visible dorsal and ventral surfaces and wax traces. It also presents the first fossil representative of Aleurodicinae and the only known Mesozoic occurrence represented by whitefly puparia.
What is a whitefly puparium?
Whiteflies belong to the insect family Aleyrodidae. A puparium is the hardened outer covering associated with an immature whitefly stage. These fossils are therefore not adult whiteflies trapped in amber: they preserve immature-stage remains, which can reveal features that adult fossils cannot.
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Why are these fossils unusually informative?
Many described fossil whiteflies are adults, and fossil preservation often leaves too little anatomy to make detailed comparisons. The Myanmar puparia preserve features on both the upper (dorsal) and lower (ventral) body surfaces, along with traces of wax. That combination gives researchers more to examine than a fossil showing only one surface or a less complete outline.
The authors compare structures including claws, compound pores and the proportions of the lingula, a feature of the puparium. These anatomical details help them assess similarities and differences between Aleyrodinae and Aleurodicinae and consider how those lineages relate to living whiteflies.
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What do the fossils tell us about whitefly evolution?
The comparisons support the conclusion that several important morphological features found in living whitefly genera were already present by the mid-Cretaceous. In the authors’ words, “Comparative analysis reveals that several key morphological features observed in extant genera evolved by the mid-Cretaceous, providing new insights into the early evolution and diversification of whiteflies during the late Mesozoic.”
This is new anatomical evidence that can refine scenarios for early whitefly diversification. It does not establish every step in the group’s history, identify a complete sequence of ancestors, or show that modern genera themselves existed in their present form at that time.
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How does this discovery compare with another fossil whitefly?
A separate 2024 study described Pudrica christianottoi, found in succinite associated with Lower/Middle Miocene lignite deposits in Lower Lusatia, Germany. The authors argued that this find challenges established assumptions about how central and eastern European fossil resins formed and were deposited. It is a different fossil and a different geological question from the Cretaceous Myanmar puparia.
| Find | Age and locality | Preservation and life stage | What it contributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three species described by Caballero and coauthors (2026) | Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber; approximately 100 million years old | Amber inclusions preserving puparia, with dorsal and ventral surfaces and wax traces visible | First known whitefly puparia with those visible features; first fossil Aleurodicinae representative identified by the study; only known Mesozoic occurrence represented by whitefly puparia |
| Pudrica christianottoi (2024) | Succinite associated with Lower/Middle Miocene lignite deposits in Lower Lusatia, Germany | Whitefly in fossil resin; the 2024 study is a separate fossil record from the Myanmar puparia | Raises a question about established assumptions concerning central and eastern European fossil-resin formation and deposition |
What remains uncertain?
The whitefly fossil record is sparse and incomplete, so each find provides only part of the evidence needed to reconstruct the group’s past. These specimens broaden the anatomical record for immature whiteflies and add a fossil Aleurodicinae representative, but they do not settle the timing or full pattern of whitefly origins and diversification.
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