Scientists discover 100-million-year-old 'ET-like' insect species in Myanmar

New Delhi: Scientists claim to have a 100-million-year-old insect species with 'ET-like' appearance and triangular head in Myanmar.

The features of the insect so unusual that it has been placed in a new scientific order - an incredibly rare event.

There are about one million described species of insects, and millions more still to be discovered, but every species of insect on Earth has been placed in only 31 existing orders.

The small, wingless female insect that probably lived in fissures in the bark of trees, looking for mites, worms or fungi to feed on while dinosaurs lumbered nearby. It was tiny, but scary looking.

"This insect has a number of features that just don't match those of any other insect species that I know," said George Poinar, a professor at Oregon State University in the US.

"I had never really seen anything like it. It appears to be unique in the insect world, and after considerable discussion we decided it had to take its place in a new order," Poinar said.
Perhaps most unusual was a triangular head with bulging eyes, with the vertex of the right triangle located at the base of the neck, said Poinar.

This is different from any other known insect, and would have given this species the ability to see almost 180 degrees by turning its head sideways.

(With PTI inputs)