Baltic Amber Braconid Wasp and Midge

Description: This amber piece displays a fine example of a member of the Braconid Wasps. These wasps are known to parasitize a diverse variety of insects, feeding directly on eggs, larvae, and adult insects of several types. They are the most diverse Families of wasps, having an estimated 40,000 – 50,000 species. The family dates back to the Cretaceous, radiating rapidly contemporaneously with the emergence of flowering plants. This one is well displayed within this large piece of Baltic amber. The other inclusion is a biting midge of the family Ceratopogonidae.