Baltic amber (50 MYO) - extremely! rare male mosquito (Culicidae, Aedes sp. - body about 6 mm., originally uploaded by leth.damgaard.
Baltic amber (50 MYO) - extremely rare perfect male mosquito (Culicidae, Aedes ... - body about 6 mm.
© Anders Leth Damgaard - www.amber-inclusions.dk
Mosquitoes (Culicidae) in amber is noteworthy extraordinary rare.
There are only two specimen in Cretaceous amber (Burmese amber (99-112 MYO) Burmaculex antiquuns, Borkent Brimaldi, 2004 and Canadian amber (Upper Cretaceous), Paleoculicis minutus, Poinar et al. 2000.
There has been extraordinary 5 different species in Baltic amber (45-50 MYO) - this specimen is just found a couple of days ago and still have to be ID. I will write about this new mosquito, in this box below the image, as soon as I have found an certain determination - so check back in a week's time. Perhaps this is a new species in the extra rare family's evolutionary history ...
In addition there are 2 species in Dominicansk amber (23-33 MYO), Anopheles dominicanus Zavortnik & Poinar, 2000 and Culex malariager, Poinar, 2005 and there is recently also found mosquitoes in Mexican amber.
There are several fossil mosquitoes than listed above - an (more or less) complete list can be found on page 124 in "Paleoculicis minutus (Diptera: Culicidae) n. gene., n. sp.,
from Cretaceous Canadian amber, with a summary of described fossil mosquitoes" - www.raco.cat/index.php/ActaGeologica/article/viewFile/756...
There are theories about mosquito occurrence in amber is linked to the number of mammals (but it is important to note that there is also found mosquitoes which are possible bloodsucker on dinosaurs - source check the above link). If you want to read more about mosquito in amber, I can recommend the following papers:
- www.raco.cat/index.php/ActaGeologica/article/viewFile/756...
- www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/129200-0.pdf
- www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/MQ0270.pdf
This specimen is perfectly preserved (all areas are perfect and can be seen clearly) - the best I've ever seen in Baltic amber. I will make some detailed close-ups when I get time.
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