Jurassic-era insect discovered at Arkansas Walmart
In 2012, Michael Skvarla, director of Penn State University's Insect Identification Lab, picked up what he thought was just an antlion — a fairly common flying insect — from the side of an Arkansas Walmart. But as it turns out, it was actually a Polystoechotes punctata, or giant lacewing, an insect from the Jurassic era.
Though once common, the giant lacewing "was mysteriously extirpated from eastern North America by the 1950s," according to a press release from Penn State. Skvarla's finding was the first of its kind in the past 50 years. Giant lacewing fossils date back to the Middle Jurassic era, over 160 million years ago. Fossil lacewing insects are also "much more abundant compared to living ones," per the authors of a 2018 study on lacewing fossil findings.
Scientists are still unsure why the insect disappeared, but have hypothesized that urbanization and habitat changes may have played a role. "Entomology can function as a leading indicator for ecology," Skvarla said. "The fact that this insect was spotted in a region that it hasn't been seen in over half a century tells us something more broadly about the environment."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Skvarla discovered he had misidentified the insect while teaching a Zoom class in 2020 when he noticed that the characteristics of antlions did not match up with the specimen he found. In 2022, he published his findings in the journal, Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington.
"This discovery suggests there may be relictual populations of this large, charismatic insect yet to be discovered," he said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
The worst baseball franchises of the Wild Card era
The Explainer These teams have consistently failed to find a winning formula
By David Faris Published
-
Canadian takeover bid for Japan's 7-Eleven could change how the Asian country does business
In the Spotlight Would a foreign company upend konbini culture?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why are older workers staying on the job?
Today's Big Question And what does it mean for younger workers?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
The UK's worsening wet weather
The Explainer More frequent and intense rain is keeping flood boss 'awake at night'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is dangerous weather in the Mediterranean Sea the new normal?
Today's Big Question A waterspout, or sea tornado, recently sank a superyacht off the coast of Sicily
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The moon may be the ideal place to preserve Earth's biodiversity
under the radar A cache in a crater
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What is NASA working on?
In Depth A running list of the space agency's most exciting developments
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Life on Earth just (maybe) got older than everyone decided it was
Under the radar Fossil records from western Africa show unexpected findings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Production of 'dark' oxygen deep in the ocean comes to light
Under the radar The sea is full of se(a)crets
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Scientists just made a big breakthrough with woolly mammoth DNA
The Explainer For the first time, researchers have reconstructed fossilized chromosomes
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
4 tips to make your home more eco-friendly
The Week Recommends You don't have to spend a bunch of money to make more sustainable choices
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published