Researchers studying 13 fossilized planthoppers preserved in Kachin amber from Myanmar have identified a new Cretaceous species, Cretodorus noonoo, featuring flexible mouthparts nearly twice its body length. The 99-million-year-old adaptation allowed the tiny insect to probe deep into tree bark for sap.
Insects from the age of the dinosaurs left behind a remarkable evolutionary puzzle inside hardened tree resin. A team of scientists examined amber fossils dating back approximately 99 million years and identified a previously unknown species named Cretodorus noonoo, or “Noo-Noo.” The insect belonged to Neazoniidae, an extinct family of planthoppers, and possessed feeding tubes that stretched almost twice as long as its entire body.
An Ancient Bendable Straw Adaptation Found in Myanmar Amber
Modern planthoppers rely on relatively rigid, needle-like mouthparts to pierce plant tissues and feed on fluids. The ancient specimens discovered in Kachin amber from Myanmar operated quite differently. Using high-resolution micro-computed tomography, researchers scanned the internal and external structure of 13 fossilized specimens in three dimensions, revealing fine transverse folds along the length of the proboscis.
These microscopic folds formed a dense, accordion-like surface that was part of the organ itself rather than mere ornamentation. According to the researchers, the corrugated design allowed the elongated feeding organs to bend without kinking or collapsing, functioning much like a bendy drinking straw or a corrugated vacuum hose. Because several specimens were trapped by resin in bent positions, investigators confirmed that the mouthparts retained this flexibility during the insects’ lifetimes.
How Cretodorus Noonoo Fed Inside Cretaceous Bark Cracks
The physical structure of the proboscis points to a specialized diet. Pointing backward, the long feeding apparatus was ill-suited for collecting nectar, and the study found no convincing evidence of pollen on the fossilized bodies to suggest a role as pollinators. Instead, scientists theorize that the insect used its reach to move through narrow crevices in tree bark, guiding the tip directly toward deep vascular tissues carrying nutrient-rich fluids.
At the apex of the mouthpart sat another distinct anatomical feature: two grooved lobes. Researchers suggest these lobes opened during feeding to anchor the organ against the walls of tree cracks, operating much like a wall plug expanding inside a drilled hole.
“The discovery of ‘Noo-Noo,’ a new species that lived approximately 99 million years ago, gives us an extraordinary glimpse into the insect world of the age of the dinosaurs. This is not merely an insect previously unknown to science, but an animal that developed an evolutionary solution with almost no modern equivalent: a long, flexible and durable feeding organ that likely enabled it to reach food deep within tree bark.”
Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou of the School of Zoology
Ecological Pressures in Fire-Prone Mesozoic Forests
The appearance of elongated and corrugated feeding structures across several unrelated insect groups during the Cretaceous period suggests a broader environmental pattern. Resin-producing forests of the era frequently experienced recurrent fires, conditions that encourage thick bark development in gymnosperms. Researchers propose that these thick-barked trees created specialized ecological niches and feeding opportunities that favored insects capable of reaching beyond the outer layers.
Alongside describing Cretodorus noonoo — whose informal moniker was inspired by the long flexible hose of the character from the children’s television series Teletubbies — the study updates planthopper taxonomy. Investigators propose treating Mimarachnidae as a synonym of Neazoniidae based on shared physical traits, while shifting the previously unplaced genus Spinonympha into Neazoniidae.