Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39963854›Full record

ArticleInsect science2026

Cretaceous lacewing larvae with binocular vision demonstrate the convergent evolution of sophisticated simple eyes.

Carolin Haug, Florian Braig, Simon J Linhart, Derek E G Briggs, Roland R Melzer, Alejandro Caballero, Yanzhe Fu, Gideon T Haug, Marie K Hörnig, Joachim T Haug

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Insect science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Carolin HaugFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Florian BraigFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Simon J LinhartFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Derek E G BriggsDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University and Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Roland R MelzerFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Alejandro CaballeroBavarian State Collection for Zoology, Bavarian Natural History Collections, München, Germany.
Yanzhe FuFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Gideon T HaugFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Marie K HörnigMedical Biology and Electron Microscopy Center, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Joachim T HaugFaculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8254-8472

Funding

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Postdoctoral support fundsDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG Ha 6300/6-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG INST 292/119-1 FUGGDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG INST 292/120-1 FUGGDeutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst PhD scholarshipLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München LMUexcellentVolkswagen Foundation Lichtenberg Professorship
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many insects and their relatives are renowned for sophisticated compound eyes, which are also preserved in the fossil record. Yet there are other types of eyes, notably the so-called stemmata of holometabolans, such as beetles, bees, and butterflies. Stemmata are not as effective as compound eyes, except in some predatory larvae. Here we report three lacewing larvae with large forward-directed stemmata from Cretaceous Kachin amber, Myanmar. The stemmata are large relative to those of other fossil lacewing larvae, comparable to the simple eyes of modern larvae capable of image formation. The head is very wide in one larva, representing a new type of morphology as demonstrated by a quantitative comparison of the head and stylets of over 400 fossil and extant lacewing larvae. The arrangement of the exceptionally large stemmata of the larvae reported here provides stereoscopic vision. These new specimens demonstrate the convergent evolution of highly developed simple eyes in at least two additional lineages of lacewings, showcasing the enormous diversity of lacewing larvae in the Cretaceous.

Indexed as

Biological EvolutionCompound Eye, ArthropodFossilsHolometabolaVision, BinocularAnimalsLarvaMyanmarBurmese amberCretaceouslacewing larvaeMyanmar amberNeuropterastemmata

Identifiers

PMID39963854
PMCPMC12905476

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.