False Blister Beetles and the Expansion of Gymnosperm-Insect Pollination Modes before Angiosperm Dominance.

Abstract in brief

• The mid-Cretaceous period saw a significant shift from gymnosperm to angiosperm dominance, driven by various hypotheses, including the expansion of insect pollinator associations.
• Evidence indicates that several insect groups like thrips, lacewings, flies, and beetles played roles in pollination, each with specialized mouthparts suited to their pollination modes, such as the long-proboscid style.
• The study presents direct evidence that the beetle Darwinylus marcosi initially associated with gymnosperms (likely cycads) before transitioning to angiosperms, highlighting a key pattern in how insect and plant lineages evolved during this critical period.