Delicate Cretaceous Lacewing Insect Fossil

Neuroptera indet

Insect Order Neuroptera

Geological Time: Lower Cretaceous, Late Aptian-Cenomanian (108-92 million years ago)

Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Insect fossil is 30 mm overall with 23 mm wings; Matrix: 90 mm by 93 mm

Fossil Site: Crato Formation, Nova Olinda Member, Ceara, Brazil

Code: BI073

Price: Sold


Cretaceous Lacewing Insect FossilDescription: The Araripe Basin of Brazil is home to a fantastic array of exquisitely-detailed Early Cretaceous fossils, some of which have been preserved in three dimensions. While the entire formation has until the last decade or so been termed the Santana Formation, David Martill has separated out the slightly older insect-bearing strata as the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation. Quarrying operations for the purposes of obtaining paving stones exposes the remarkable insect fauna in much the same way that quarrying for lithographic limestone in Solnhofen has afforded a panoply of wonderfully-preserved Jurassic fossils in Germany. In addition to the many orders of insects, spiders, scorpions, decapod crustaceans, and many plants have been found. Interestingly, to date no pterosaurs or terrestrial vertebrates have been found, in stark contrast to the overlying Santana Formation deposits. This example shows a fine lacewing fossil.

Insect Fossil Sales

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