Insects

Home/E-mail/Order

Insects
Insects are invertebrate animals of the class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. Insects are the most diverse group of animals on earth, with around 925,000 species described sofar - more than all other animal groups combined. Estimates of the total number of current species range from two to thirty million. The true Insecta are distinguished from all other arthropods by having exposed mouthparts and 11 abdominal segments. All insects have three pairs of legs. Most species, but not all, have wings as adults. Insects are the only invertebrate group to have developed flight.
Insects first appear in the fossil record at the beginning of the Late Carboniferous, about 350 million years ago. Insect species were already diverse and highly specialized by this time, with several different orders. Thus, the first insects probably emerged earlier in the Carboniferous period, or even in the Devonian. Many modern insect genera developed during the Cenozoic. Insects from this period on are often found preserved in amber, often in perfect condition.

Bibliography:
The fossils of Solnhofen, K.A. Frickhinger, Goldschneck Verlag (Korb, Germany), part I, 1994, p. 132-166 and part II, 1999, p. 47-68
Atlas der Pflanzen und Tiere im Baltischen Bernstein, W. Weitschat and W. Wichard, 1998, Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil (Munich, Germany)

Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th ed., C. A. Triplehorn and N. F. Johnson, 2005, Thomas Brooks/Cole (Pacific Grove, California, US)
Evolution of the Insects, D. Grimaldi and M. S. Engel, 2005, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK)

Mesuropetala koehleri #MK781
Very well preserved Dragonfly with exceptional detail.
Upper Jurassic, 148 Million years old
Eichstatt, Germany
Size plate: 10 by 8 inch / 25 by 20cm
Size fossil: 4 inch / 10 cm
Price: Euro 1220.--
Mycetophiloidea spec.?
and unknown larve #DI309

Mushroomfly and worm Old collection/Alt-fund,
on small matrix plate
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size worm: 1.32 inch / 3.3 cm
Price : Euro 60.--
Hymenoptra spec. #CI542
Old collection
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossil: 0.6 inch / 1.5 cm
Price : Euro 25.--

Culex spec. #MU543
Old collection. On small matrix plate
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossil: 0.56 inch / 1.4 cm
Price : Euro

Culex spec. #MU544
Old collection. On small matrix plate
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossil: 0.44 inch / 1.1 cm
Price : Euro 30.--

Culex spec. #MU545
Old collection. On small matrix plate
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossil: 0.52 inch / 1.3 cm
Price : Euro 30.--
Culex spec. (3) #MU546
Old collection
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossil: 0.52 inch / 1.3 cm
Size plate: 5.2 by 3.2 inch / 13 by 8 cm
Price : Euro 80.--
Culex spec. #MU548
and other species (total 6) Old collection
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size fossi rigthl: 0.28 inch / 0.7 cm
Size plate: 8.8 by 4 inch / 22 by 10 cm
Price : Euro 150.--
Libellula spec. and other #GI072
Old collection/Alt-fund, 10 Dragon fly larve, other 2 Fly(?) larve and 4 leaves. Both Sides
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size plate: 8.8 by 6 inch / 22 by 15 cm
Size biggest: 1.2 inch / 3 cm
Price : Euro 240.--
Libellula spec.  #GI073
Old collection/Alt-fund, 4 Dragon fly larve, 
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size plate: 4 by 6 inch / 10 by 15 cm
Size biggest: 1 inch / 2.5 cm
Price : Euro 150.--
Libellula spec. and other #GI074
Old collection/Alt-fund, 1 Dragon fly larve, 2 other specimen
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size plate: 1.6 by 1.4 inch / 4 by 3.5 cm
Size biggest: 0.76 inch / 1.9 cm
Price : Euro 100.--
Mycetophiloidea spec.? #GI075
Old collection/Alt-fund, Mushroomfly?
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size span: 0.32 inch / 0.8 cm
Size plate: 1.8 by 1.4 inch / 4.5 by 3.5 cm
Price : Euro 30.--
Homoptera spec. #BI001
Tree/Plant Hopper
Old collection, on small matrix plate.
Santana formation.
Lower Cretaceous, 110 Million years old
Arraripe, Ceara, Brasil
Size fossil: 0.36 inch / 0.9 cm
Price: Euro 50.-- 
Gryllidae spec. #BI002
Ground Cricket
Old collection, on small matrix plate.
Santana formation.
Lower Cretaceous, 110 Million years old
Arraripe, Ceara, Brasil
Size fossil: 0.6 inch / 1.5 cm
Price: Euro 50.-- 
Katydids spec. #BI003
Flying Grashopper (Orthoptera)
Old collection, on small matrix plate.
Santana formation.
Lower Cretaceous, 110 Million years old
Arraripe, Ceara, Brasil
Size fossil: 0.56 inch / 1.4 cm
Price: Euro 50.-- 
Gryllidae spec. #BI004
Ground Cricket
Old collection, on small matrix plate.
Santana formation.
Lower Cretaceous, 110 Million years old
Arraripe, Ceara, Brasil
Size fossil: 0.44 inch / 1.1 cm
Price: Euro 50.-- 
Libellula spec. #RM395
Old collection/Alt-fund, Large Dragon fly larve
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size body: 1 inch / 2.5 cm
Size plate: 4 by 1.6 inch / 10 by 4 cm
Price : Euro 
Libellula spec. #RM396
Old collection/Alt-fund, Large Dragon fly larve
Miocene, 20 million years old
Randecker Maar, Esslingen, Germany
Size body: 1 inch / 2.5 cm
Size plate: 5.4 by 4 inch / 13.5 by 10 cm
Price : Euro 90.--

Hymenoptra spec. #10
Old collection
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size wingspan: 0.6 inch / 1.5 cm
Size plate: 2.4 by 3.2 inch / 6 by 8 cm
Price : Euro 35.--

010insect.jpg (5237 bytes)

011insect.jpg (10306 bytes)

Hymenoptra spec. #11
Old collection
Oligocene, 30 million years old
Cereste, France
Size wingspan: 0.6 inch / 1.5 cm
Size plate: 1.2 by 1.2 inch / 3 by 3 cm
Price :Euro 35.--
Mvc-026f.jpg (66365 bytes) Myrmicium spec.
Wood - Wasp pos/neg
Upper Jurassic, 148 Million years old
Eichstatt, Germany
Size fossil: 2.25 inch / 6 cm
Price: Euro

Isophlebia spec.
Large Dragonfly #1
Upper Jurassic 148 million years old
Eichstatt, Germany
Size plate: 10.8 by 8.4 inch / 27 by 21 cm
Size fossil: 5.75 inch / 14 cm (body size)
Price: Euro
Pycnophlebia robusta
Winged grasshopper
Upper Jurassic 148 million years old
Eichstatt, Germany
Size plate: 10 by 9 inch / 25 by 22.5 cm
Size fossil: 5 inch / 12.5 cm
Price:
Euro 135.--