Fossil of world’s oldest wasp discovered in Ticino

Of note is the discovery of the oldest wasp discovered to date (Magnicapitixyela dilettae). Keystone-SDA

Excavations in Ticino have uncovered 248 fossilised insects dating back 239 million years. Among the finds along the Gaggiolo stream near Meride is the oldest wasp found to date.

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These insects from the Triassic period were brought to light during the palaeontological excavations of the Ticino Cantonal Museum of Natural History (MCSN) in Lugano between 2020 and 2023, the Ticino authorities said on Thursday. They date from the time before dinosaurs dominated the earth.

The discoveries shed light on the evolution of some insect groups after the mass extinction at the end of the Permian period around 251 million years ago, according to an article in the journal Communications Biology, to which the Ticino authorities referred.

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Despite their small dimensions of between two millimetres and 2.5 centimetres, the fossils are exceptionally well preserved, which in turn allows their morphological details to be observed.

Both freshwater groups such as dragonflies and caddisflies and terrestrial groups such as cockroaches, bugs and wasps were found. Of note is the discovery of the oldest wasp discovered to date (Magnicapitixyela dilettae) and a female cockroach with its reproductive organs preserved.

According to the Ticino authorities, the fossil collection, which is kept in the Ticino Cantonal Museum of Natural History, makes a significant contribution to understanding the evolution of insects. It therefore also underlines the importance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Monte San Giorgio as a place of global interest, not only for its vertebrates, but also for palaeontological research in the field of insects.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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