Larval morphology of the hangingfly Bicaubittacus longiprocessus (Huang and Hua, 2005) (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) and its taxonomic significance

Fossils in Myanmar amber demonstrate the diversity of anti-predator strategies of Cretaceous holometabolan insect larvae

“…The dorsal side has very prominent setae of which the sockets are drawn out into long cones, just as in modern larvae of Bittacidae. 32 , 33 , 34 These structures seem also to be used for carrying a camouflaging cloak in modern larvae, 35 indicating that the fossil would also have employed the same strategy. The absence of such a cloak in the new fossil may be related to an early developmental state of the larva (see also discussion in 36 ).…”