A giant Jurassic insect, extinct at least fifty years ago, has been seen sitting in a supermarket box in Arkansas.

The discovery of a giant neuroptera (Polystoechotes punctata) in the urban area of ​​Fayetteville caused a furious stir in the ranks of scientists.

The discovery of a species that was abundant in dinosaur times but thought to be extinct in large areas of North America where it was endemic raised hopes that entire populations might exist hidden deep in the Ozarks.

Michael Squarla, director of the Pennsylvania State University Insect Identification Laboratory, identified a highly visible insect. In a bulletin on the university’s website, he explained how he found the insect in 2012 while working on his doctoral thesis at the University of Arkansas.

“I remember it clearly because I was walking to Walmart for milk and I saw this huge insect on the wall of the building. I thought it looked interesting, so I placed it in my palm and did the rest of my shopping, holding it between my fingers. I went home, framed it and immediately forgot about it for almost ten years,” he describes.

In an article recently published in the academic journal Proceedings of the Entomological Society, Squarla said the species was erroneously labeled “armyeontid” in his personal collection, an insect but with similar characteristics.

The bug fix was delayed until late 2020, with Squarla teaching via Zoom in the midst of a biodiversity course lockdown. As the professor and students watched the microscopic images, they realized that the species had been mislabeled.

The giant insect, which looks like a cross between a large fly and a moth, was once common in North America, but was thought to be extinct in its eastern regions until the 1950s.

The reasons for his alleged disappearance have remained a mystery. Among the possible scenarios, scientists named light pollution caused by the rapid urbanization of many areas, as well as the introduction of alien species, such as beetles that prey on a particular insect.

Decreased wildfires in eastern North America may have played a role in its supposed extinction, as the giant insect is dependent on post-fire ecosystems.

Source: Guardian