This document provides a timeline of key events in insect evolution from 480 million years ago to the present: - Major diversification periods for insects included the Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Paleogene periods, coinciding with the rise of flowering plants and other environmental changes. - The Cretaceous saw the earliest known bees, termites, and examples of modern insect orders like beetles, flies, and butterflies. - Following the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, the Paleogene saw further diversification of Lepidoptera like butterflies and moths. - The last 10,000 years since the end of the last ice age have

2. 480 million yearsago
350 million yearsago
298 million yearsago
250 Million yearsago

4. v

6. Jurassic

8. Lacewings (Neuroptera)

9. Neuroptera(Kalligrammatidae)

10. Order: Lepidoptera (Amphiesmenoptera)

11. Lepidoptera –Trichoptera divergence
Lepidoptera Trichoptera

13. Diversificationof flies (Diptera)

14. Nemestrinidae
Bombyliidae
Rhagonidae
Tipuloidea

16. Cretaceous

18. Flowering plants
(Angiosperms)

20. Spongistoma angusta (Blattodea)
Cretaceous amber

21. Bees
Melittosphexburmensis (Hymenoptera)

22. Haidomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera)

23. Werethere butterflies in the
Cretaceous? Maybe.
Skipper butterfly (Hesperiidae) Hedylid butterfly (Hedylidae)

24. Stick insects (Phasmatodea)

25. Scarabaeidae:Scarabaeinae(?)

26. Paleoculicisminutus Burmaculex antiquus

27. Large Lower Cretaceous Lepidoptera (moth)
Fossil fromLiaoning Provinceof China

28. Labradormantis guilbaulti(Mantodea)

29. Termites
(Formerly: Isoptera / Currently: Blattodea)

31. Cretaceous–Paleogeneextinctionevent

36. Immune to mass extinction?

37. Paleogene

39. Diversificationof Lepidoptera
Prodryas persephone(Nymphalidae)
Doritites bosniackii (Papilionidae) Praepapilio colorado (Papilionidae)

40. Stolopsyche libytheoides (Pieridae)
Voltiniadramba(Riodinidae)
Pamphilites (Hesperiidae)
Lycaenidae

41. Bats

42. Zygaenidae
Noctuidae
Saturniidae
Sphingidae
Cossidae Geometridae

43. Eusociality (Hymenoptera)
Melissites trigona Ant, BalticAmber

44. Radiationof calyptrateflies
(Calyptratae) Diptera
Mesembrinellacaenozoica

45. •

46. End of the Paleogene(23 Mya) to
Anthropocene - (10.000BCE -2021+ AD)

47. 410,000,000+ years (Earliest hexapods)
100.000.000+ years ( most “Modern” insects)
6,000,000 years
(biped hominids)
200.000 years
(Homosapiens)

49. Graellsia isabellae
(Spanishmoonmoth)

51. Land bridges