Amber Encyclopedia entry #3: Four-Winged Insect in Burmese Amber: Possible Lacewing or Mayfly from the Cretaceous

Ryan Zschomler
19 hours ago
2 min read

Specimen ID: Four-Winged Insect in Burmese Amber, Possible Lacewing or Mayfly from the Cretaceous Location: Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, Myanmar Age: ~100 million years (mid-Cretaceous) Specimen feature: Featured in livestream at 1:18:55 timestamp Photograph: Wikimedia Commons Upload – CC BY-SA

Overview

This exceptional Burmese amber specimen contains a four-winged insect with extraordinary preservation. The wings are fully spread and clearly visible, with delicate venation patterns and a long, slender body. This rare morphology has led to debates about whether it may represent a lacewing (Order: Neuroptera), a mayfly (Order: Ephemeroptera), or potentially a member of another Cretaceous insect lineage.

Due to the visibility of all four wings and the positioning of the legs and antennae, the fossil offers one of the clearest views of its kind for comparative morphology.

Key Features

Four distinct wings, visible in full spread
Delicate venation with branching patterns consistent with neuropteran or ephemeropteran morphology
Fine legs and segmented antennae
Embedded in clear yellow Burmese amber with minimal occlusions
Some surface oxidation and reflective polishing marks are visible

Scientific Context

Four-winged insects are rare but not unknown in Cretaceous amber deposits. Lacewings and mayflies both possess four wings, but their venation and wing structure differ significantly. Lacewings tend to show reticulated wing patterns and broader shapes, while mayflies often exhibit more symmetrical fore- and hindwings with long trailing cerci.

If confirmed as a lacewing, this specimen may contribute to our understanding of neuropteran evolution and diversity in the Cretaceous period. If it is a mayfly, it would join a very small number of mayfly specimens ever found in Burmese amber.

Further identification may require expert analysis or CT scanning to resolve fine structural details.

Educational and Collecting Significance

This piece was featured live during an AmberBugs.com fossil sales stream and drew immediate interest for its clarity and scientific intrigue. Its combination of wing display and preservation makes it an ideal specimen for educational content, scientific documentation, and future taxonomic study.

Collectors and researchers interested in rare inclusions are encouraged to follow our YouTube livestreams for future discoveries.

Citation

Suggested citation format:

AmberBugs.com (2025). "Four-Winged Insect in Burmese Amber – Possible Lacewing or Mayfly from the Cretaceous." Amber Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://amberbugs.com/encyclopedia/four-winged-insect-in-amber

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