Baltic Amber Biting Midge and Click Beetle Association

Description: This large amber piece displays examples of the Diptera in association with a click beetle. Biting Midges are also known as Punkies. Modern-day examples are called No-See-Ums due to their minute size. They pack a powerful bite, however, and can be quite pesky.. The term Diptera means “two-winged” and is actually a misnomer. Most members have a second, vestigial pair of wings that are mere knobs which are used as a “gyroscope” to keep the insect level in flight. Click beetles of today are able to snap to escape predators or to right themselves when they are on their back. They do so by snapping a spine on the prosternum with a corresponding notch on the mesosternum. These features are clearly visible in the dorsal closeup displayed here.