Butterflies and moths of Lepidoptera are among the most beautiful insects that are known to us in thousands of species from around the world.
But their development was a mystery to the scientists, as there are virtually no fossilized remains of Lepidoptera. And scientists from the Netherlands discovered fossils of Lepidoptera older than those found earlier, proving that this insect died at least 200 million years ago.
The fossilized remains of ancient Lepidoptera are a true rarity. Although butterflies are fragile and tender creatures, their outer skeletons are chitin, which is quite durable.
And that's strange, because Lepidoptera is closely related to another known modern insect group, the flies of Trichoptera. The fossils of this group are well known and attributed to the Paleozoic Permian period (250 million years).
A happy event
The recently discovered fossils are not that old, but fall into the Triassic, the beginning of the dinosaur era. Delicate fossils are characteristic of butterflies and moths.
Its amazing that this fossil managed to survive for that long. Geology can be cruel to delicate things, but Im glad this one made it through!