Insects

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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.

Baltic amber is a mineral resin which is estimated to be from 40 to 50 million years old. The resin was formed by several types of conifers in forests which covered the area of today's Scandinavia and Baltic Sea. From these forests the resin was transported, and gradually changed into amber. Today, the greatest ledges of amber are situated along the Baltic coast from Chłapów to the Sambian Peninsula.

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)

For a larger image please click on the photo!
Callomyia torporata #IC5621
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.3 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Coleoptera spec. #908_5
Beetle in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. :
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 
Plecia pealei #IC5619
Fossil Butte,
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Wyoming, U.S.A.
Size fossil:  1.7 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Bruchus anilis #IC5620
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.5 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Fulgora granulosa #IC5622
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.5 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Fulgora populata #IC5623
Scudder,  Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.6 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Dicranomyia stigmosa #IC5624
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.7 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Eudiagogus terrosus #IC5625
Scudder,  Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.6 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Liometopum pingue #IC5626
Fossil Ant,
Parachute creek formation
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Rio Blanco County, Colorado U.S.A.
Size fossil:  0.7 cm
Price: Euro 20.--
Cicade spec. #908_2
Cicade nimph in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 40.--
Fly larve unknown spec. #908_3
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : 
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 30.--
Optiones spec. #908_4
Quite big Spider in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. :
1 cm
Price: Euro 80.--
Pterygota+Formicidae spec. #908_6 
Fly
+ Ant (not on photo) in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. :
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 40.--
Polyxendia+Formicidae spec. #908_7
Polyxendia + Ant in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. :
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 60.--
Coleoptera + Arachindae spec. #908_8
Beetle and Spiders in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : 
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 60.--
Pterygota+Arachindae + Trichoptera spec. #908_9
Mosquito, Spider and Jumper in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. :
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 80.--

Arachindae aranea + Diptera spec. #908_10
Spider and Mosquito in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : 
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 60.--
2 Arachindae aranea + Diptera spec. #908_11
2 Spiders and Mosquito in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : 
between 0.2 and 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 80.--
Nematoda spec. #908_1
Worm in Amber
Eocene, 40 Million years old
Baltic sea coast, between Gdansk and Kalingrad
Size fossil approx. : 0.2 inch / 0.5 cm
Price: Euro 40.--
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. #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.-- 
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. #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.--

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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.--