What is known

A female bumblebee got stuck in a drop of Burmese amber. It is not clear how old he was when he was alive. Their size is only 1.3 millimeters long, while adults of similar modern species called microwaves do not exceed 2 millimeters in length.

Today, there are thousands of species of these parasitic insects. Some are useful for controlling crop pests. However, none of them have such large antennas.

We could not find any fossil or living insect with this antenna structure. We wondered how it could fly with so much weight.
– says George Poinar, lead author of the study.

Antennae of a microwave bee stuck in ancient amber / Photo: George Poinar Jr. / Oregon State University

The wasp has a deep slit in the middle of its head and slightly different wings that distinguish the species from others. However, its most striking feature is the two strange structures clinging to the antennas. They are somewhat similar in shape to human lungs, but of course they do not perform the same function. Scientists don’t know what their purpose is. We have no analogues among existing species to observe how they are used.

One suggestion is that these elements are not part of the wasp. These may be flower seeds or other parts of the plant that cling to the antennae. It may also be the eggs of other insects – scale insects, for example.

It is possible that the micro wasp parasitized the scales because male scale wasps were also present in the same piece of amber.
– adds Poinar.

Scientists named the new specimen Carradiophyodus saradae. The genus takes its name from the Greek words for “head” (land) and “throat” (diaphyodus), and the species name is a tribute to fellow scientist Sarada Krishnan.