The beetle, which lived around 49 million years ago, is so well preserved that it looks as if it could spread its distinctively-patterned wings and fly away. It could, if it wasn't squashed or fossilized.Scientists recently discovered that wing cases (or elytra) are among the strongest parts of a beetle’s exoskeleton. However, this level in color contrast and clarity is extremely rare in fossils.Researchers named the ancient beetle Pulchritudo attenboroughi (or Attenborough's Beauty) because of its beautiful design. In a new study, they wrote that the pattern was "the best preserved pigment-based coloration known in fossil honeybeetles."Similar: Meet the Beetles: Amazing museum specimens from LondonThe beetle beauty was described by the researchers in Colorado's Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS), where it had been since 1995. The fossil was found by paleontologists in the Green River Formation. This rich fossil site, once made up of a collection of lakes, spans Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah and dates back to the Eocene period (55.8 to 33.9 millions years ago).Initial classification of the fossil was Cerambycidae long-horned beetle. Although the fossil's body shape was similar to long-horned beetles it had unusually short hind limbs that were beefy. This led Frank-Thorsten Krell (the museum's senior curator for entomology), to wonder if it might be part of another group.The study described the beetle's new genus as part of a subfamily that is known for its strong and powerful hind legs, the frog-legged leaves beetles. Krell explained to Live Science that the fossilized female insect is the second example of a North American frog-legged beetle. According to the study, no modern beetles from this group are currently found in North America. P. attenboroughi's back shows symmetrical, dark circular patterns that stand out against a background of light. Researchers reported that this suggests that beetles had bold patterns at least 50,000,000 years ago.Digital reconstruction of Pulchritudo Attenboroughi. Image credit: Denver Museum of Nature and ScienceKrell stated that a fine-grained sediment is necessary for a beetle's ability to fossilize. The best substrate for fossilizing insects is clay or silt at the lake's bottom. This means that the beetle needs to sink quickly into the lake bottom before it disintegrates. He said that the beetle should not rot and should have an oxygen-rich environment on the lake's floor.Krell said that there are still questions about how the sediments at the lake bottom preserved high-contrast colors of the beetle. Representatives from the DMNS stated that P. attenboroughi is now on display in the museum’s "Prehistoric Journey" exhibit.These findings were published in Papers in Paleontology on Aug. 6.Original publication on Live Science
