Baltic Amber
Item 1
This is a rare piece. First there is a twig (or the remains of a twig) going through the amber. But much more importantly, there is a Bristletail, Apterygota, Zygentoma. These are wingless true insects. This particular one is fairly good sized. A superb example of a Bristletail in Baltic amber.
Item 3
Lovely clear piece of Baltic with a small, but nice female worker ant, Hymenoptera, Formicidae. There are also 3 (small - but all mites are small) mites scattered around this great piece.
Item 5
Mayfly - Order Ephemeroptera. Mayfly eggs are laid in water and are hatched within one to two weeks. The nymphs develop for a year or more in water. When they emerge into the air, their life span is counted in hours. Mayflies are very rare in amber. This particular mayfly is in a nice piece of amber, but it is difficult to see. Many microscopic air bubbles impede clear visualization of the animal. Needless to say, this is not a 'cleared' piece of Baltic amber.
Item 6
A lot of small animals inside this piece. There is a beetle, a mite and 1 or 2 gall gnats, Cecidomyiidae
Item 8
I am not sure on this largish piece. maybe it is a beetle, but the amber is not clear and it is difficult to see.
Item 9
Item 10
Good sized piece with both ends "rough". This has a twig inside. It does look like a leaf (part of one) is at the end of the twig.
Item 12
About 2/3 of an inch in size (amber) and the stonefly is about a 1/2 inch. Bottom line, this piece of amber has the rare and massively sought after stonefly, Plecoptera. While fully developed larvae are occasionally found in amber, the exuviae (molt) and particularly the winged imagoes are most common. This is not the molt, but the actual animal. The mature larvae leave the water and often climb up nearby tree trunks to shed their last exuvia and become winged imagoes. As stoneflies develop only a low affinity for flying and usually walk rather than fly in the event of danger, in search of food or to mate, their dispersal in minimal and often limited to the immediate vicinity of their original aquatic habitat.
Item 13
This is certainly a different piece. There is quite a story to weave around this piece. Going through the resin is what I feel to be a stick. Attached to this stick was a ant colony. The resin must have dripped on to the colony of ants some 45 million years ago. Mostly there were female worker ants, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, scurrying around. Part of the hive that housed juveniles was also here. There is a pupa that died immediately prior to hatching. This is the first time I have ever seen that. Must be two dozen worker ants who lost their life in the sap. Part is very clear, part has a rough surface. An amazing piece of amber.
Item 14
Item 15
This is one of those pieces that is small, but has a lot inside. Most are Dipterans - I am not even going to try and ID the flies in tis piece!
Item 17
This is not for everyone. It is a small piece and the animal inside is very small. But hold on to your hats, this is an Annelida. It really is. Please, again, this is for the serious collector.
Item 18
Smallish, rather cuboidal shaped piece of Baltic amber. There are a bunch of flies (2 Nematocera and 1 Brachycera) also a mite.
Item 19
Here is a rare animal, a bristletail, Archeognatha, Machilidae. You can see the three tails on the rear of the abdomen. This is a rather rare specimen.
Item 20
This has a bark louse inside, Psocoptera and also a beetle, Coleoptera. I do like a small bits of wood parts.
Item 21
A very rare botanical piece of the Cypress family, Cupressaceae, a Thuites twig. Twigs are seldom found in Baltic amber since they decay so rapidly. This particular piece has a very nice twig - almost an inch long. Very nice, very impressive for a collection.
Item 22
An interesting piece of amber. This has what appears to be a flower inside, at one end. The flower is different. The central portion is elongated. fun to look at.
Item 24
A particularly fine specimen of a moth fly, Diptera, Psychodidae and a good gall midge, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae.
Item 26
Item 27
Small, oblong, clear piece of Baltic amber that contains a checkered beetle larva, Coleoptera, Cleridae.
Item 28
Although I am not 100% sure about this, I do think it is a froghopper (spittlebug). Superfamily Cercopoidea do not have any veins visible in the clavus and are extremely rare in Baltic amber. This is a perfectly shaped piece with a large froghopper.
