Fulgoridae Insect Fossil from Yixian Formation

Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province in northeast China has remained one of the hottest paleontology study sites on earth the past two decades. The Yixian Formation is perhaps most famous for discoveries of feathered dinosaurs. From feathered dinosaurs to birds to reptiles with color patterns, the fine lake silts of Liaoning preserved the most intricate of life from more than 100 million years ago. Relatively hard to preserve insects are well represented in the diverse Liaoning biota. This leafhopper insect fossil is in association with numerous refresh water clams, suggesting that after death it was buried in the fine sediment at the bottom of an inland lake. The Fulgoridae were formerly part of now depricated order Homoptera, but are now united with Hemiptera (the true bugs) and ranked as suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Note the many little fresh water clams dotting the matrix. This specimen is displayed from the top, a dorsal view, with wings in flight pose..