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The Wild Pest
Book
A polished piece of golden amber containing an ancient insect inclusion.
Most Wanted ListAncient

Ten Bugs Older Than Dinosaurs

Insects predate dinosaurs by about 150 million years. Some lineages haven't changed since.

Insects appeared on Earth roughly 412 million years ago. Dinosaurs showed up 230 million years ago. By the time the first dinosaur walked, the bugs in this list were already old — and many of their lineages are essentially unchanged since. The cockroach line predates the dinosaurs. Dragonflies once had 70-cm wingspans. The cicada family was singing in the Triassic. The mosquito found in 100-million-year-old amber is recognizably a mosquito.

  1. Periodical Cicada (17-Year)
    1

    Periodical Cicada (17-Year)

    Magicicada septendecim

    85Six Legs

    Cicada lineage dates to the Triassic — over 200 million years ago.

    CuriousRead the file →
  2. Common Bed Bug
    2

    Common Bed Bug

    Cimex lectularius

    79Six Legs

    The bed bug genus Cimex is ancient — and has lived with humans for at least 3,500 years.

    OutlawRead the file →
  3. Yellow Fever Mosquito
    3

    Yellow Fever Mosquito

    Aedes aegypti

    81Six Legs

    Mosquito-line fossils have been recovered from 100+ million-year-old amber.

    Apex OutlawRead the file →
  4. Atlas Moth
    4

    Atlas Moth

    Attacus atlas

    76Six Legs

    Saturniid moths trace to the Cretaceous, before flowering plants dominated.

    CuriousRead the file →