Tumbling Flower Beetle and Midge in Baltic Amber

Description: This amber piece displays a fine Flower Beetle (Mordelliidae), distinguished by the abdomen that protrudes beyond the elytra. Modern–day Tumbling Flower Beetles are named for their ability to tumble rapidly when disturbed on the flowers. They are difficult to catch; perhaps this ancestor displayed this same trait. This one is easily seen deep within this fine amber specimen. It has been trapped for eternity with a biting midge of the family Ceratopogonidae. Modern examples are colloquially termed “no see-ums”; they are small to see but their bite is painful.