Rare whitefly fossils found in New Zealand shed light on ancient forest life

[Still Waters]

Newly discovered insect fossils are so small they can barely be seen by the human eye but have been preserved in an extraordinary way. Published in the journal Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, a study reveals rare whitefly insect fossils have been found in Miocene age crater lake sediments at Hindon Maar, near Dunedin.

Adult whiteflies are tiny insects about 3mm in size, smaller if they are immature. The fossils found at Hindon Maar are about 1.5mm by 1.25mm and have been preserved in the position where they lived and died, attached to the underside of a fossil leaf.

https://phys.org/news/2024-12-rare-whitefly-fossils-zealand-ancient.html