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 2
A very nice and good sized fly, Diptera, Brachycera. This also has a small dance fly, Empididae and another small fly, Nematocera.
Item 4
How fun this piece is. This has a real coprolite in it the amber. Coprolites areanimal poop. This one, I think is from an Annelid (Annelida). One can never be 100% sure unless the actual animal is there - and in this case 'he' is not. Anyway, a very rare item in amber, enjoy.
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
Baltic amber - extremely rare male wedge-shaped beetle (Rhipiphoridae).
They are one of the most unusual beetle families, in that they are parasitoids - different groups within the family attack different hosts, but most are associated with bees or vespid wasps, while some others are associated with roaches. They often have abbreviated elytra, and branched antennae.
This beetle reminds me of the alien in Predator.
Those that attack bees typically lay their eggs on flowers, where they hatch almost immediately into small planidium larvae that wait for a passing host. They grab onto a bee when it visits the flower, and ride it back to its nest, where they disembark and enter a cell with a host larva. The beetle larva then enters the body of the host larva, where it waits while the larva grows. When the host pupates, the beetle larva migrates to the outside of its body and begins to feed, eventually consuming it.
Item 7
Good sized piece of amber with one side 'rough'. Interestingly, there is not much inside except for a 'daddy-long-legs', Opiliones. It is elongated and moderately small.
Item 8
This is a small piece of amber. Inside is a dark winged fungus gnat, Diptera, Sciaridae. This is a specimen piece for a collection since it is not large.
Item 10
You do not see Ichneumonid wasps very often - here one is. Ichneumonid wasps parasitize other insects, either the larval form or the adult form, often laying eggs in the body and then the 'babies' eat their host from the inside out. Rather interesting form of development.
Item 11
Small piece of amber that is not suitable for "showing'' (because of the size). This is good only as a specimen in a collection.
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
Daddy long legs are not really spiders, even though all kids assume they are. Here is a daddy long legs, Opilionidae. A little hard to see, but he is really there. A bit unusual to see these guys.
Item 16
There is a lot here. First, the largest animal is a caddis fly, Trichoptera, family Polycentropodidae, then there are 2 gall midges, Cecidomyiidae and2 true midges, Chironomidae. Finally there is a male spider, Theridiidae.
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
Small piece of Baltic amber with part of a spider web inside. I love spider webs - have no idea why, but I think they are really sharp.
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
If you are into aphids, you will like this one. Order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha, infraorder Aphidomorpha
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
A beautiful piece of amber. You know, when I look at the animals inside, I am not 100% sure what they are. They are nice, no problem with that, it is just that I am not sure. So I will not try. You will enjoy these pictures, they are good.
Item 23
If you ever wanted a lacewing, this is it. Nice and the price is right. The lacewing is in an unpolished piece of Baltic amber, not large but really fun to look at. Lacewings are sought after specimens.
Item 24
A particularly fine specimen of a moth fly, Diptera, Psychodidae and a good gall midge, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae.
Item 25
There is something about mites that is just sharp. This is a 'smallish' piece of amber (square) that has a beautiful mite that has great detail and is offered at a great price.
Item 26
Nice weevil, Coleoptera, Curculionidea. One side has the white film on it, the other side is perfect. In fact, I have as the main picture - the snout - really a cool image.
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.
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