Fossil Amber Ecosystem with 80 Insects - Mating Flies

The density and diversity of this amber specimen distinguishes it as among the best of the best, and among the largest and best specimens I've ever been able to offer. It contains more than 80 insects (too many to accurately count), representing many insect orders, families and species in their natural interactive associations of an ancient rainforest ecosystem.

The 1st trophy inclusion is a large Hemiptera (true bug), Family Gerridae, a water strider. This is only the second such bug I've seen in many thousands of specimens. Interestingly, the lobster look-a-like bug appears to be confronting a very, very ugly spider, or is it visa versa.

The 2nd trophy inclusion(s) is a pair of Dipterans that passed on in a manner that humans dream of, in the act of procreation. Their coupling is here frozen for all eternity.

Mea culpa for the prodigious pictures, but there are so many other superbly preserved insects: 1 lady-bird-like beetle; 2 large platypodid beetles; 15 Cisid beetles (Cisidae); a bark louse (Psocoptera), a moth (Lepidoptera); a very large stingless bee (Hymenoptera), and some 60 other Dipterans (flies and gnats) and Hymenopterans (ants, bees and wasps)

The hard to obtain specimens like this are known to locals as Ambar externo excepcional (Spanish for "exceptional external amber"). The name derives from the supposition based on inclusions found that the resin fell to the forest floor (i.e., external to the tree of origin) and captured an exceptional number of insects, normally distributed across a few to many insect orders, as well as other Arthropods. Exceptional derives also from high clarity, rich color and thinness that enable easy viewing. Add to that a superb hand-polish finish, and this is a trophy in any fossil or amber collection.