This
fossil amber exemplifies both rarity and beauty, this amber piece
is one
of the most desirable I've seen among many, many thousands. The
central inclusion is the illusive (how many have you seen in the
wild lately) and stealthy (did you look right at it and not see
it) Phasmida, a.k.a., walking stick. Rare they are in nature and
hence in amber, and to encounter such preservation in a large specimen,
with superb clarity and rich color, makes this an extraordinary
collection piece. Our stealthy stick is not alone. The beauty of
this 44.4 gram, 79 by 55 mm fossil resin tomb is augmented by a
flying Isopteran, 5 Dipterans, and a tiny spider I forgot to photograph.
Insect
Order Phasmida (the stick or leaf insects) is believed to have appeared
in the Lower Triassic and is one of the most interesting Orders
in Subphylum Insecta. They are a poignant example of the innovation
of natural selection in creating stealth for survival. They typically
are either stick-like or leaf-like in appearance, a camouflage or
mimicry that is their common characteristic; many will also play
possum for hours. "Phasmid" is derived from the Latin
term for phantom (phasma), and finding them in the wild can be very
difficult for even an experienced collector. You might correctly
guess then, that fossil Phasmida are exceedingly rare -- hence the
paucity of specimens in this fossil gallery. They do not have their
hindlegs adapted for jumping as in the closely related order Orthoptera
(grasshoppers, katydids, crickets and relatives). Unlike many insects,
they make superb pets. A phasmid will usually live from one to two
years, depending on the species. Sexual dimorphism is usually extreme
with diminuative males. Some species are completely or partially
parthenogenetic. They extend their evolutionary stealth to their
eggs that are large and often closely resemble plant seeds This
allows the females to lay viable eggs without a mate; indeed there
are some species in which males are unknown to exist. Some 2500
species of Phasmids are extant.
See
also: Museum Fossils
Fossil Amber
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