daves64 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 In one of the pieces of Burmite amber I bought from @holdinghistory recently, I found what I think may be molted skin from something. Reptile, insect or worm, I have no clue. Measures 1 cm long by 5 mm at the widest. Pics 1 - 4 show the texture at 200 x. 5 & 6 show the entire piece at 20 x. Any ideas? Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 I’m thinking you may be right with a molt. In picture #1 it looks like the eye covering on the right side. But from what I’m not sure. I suspect some kind of worm/leech but I could easily be wrong. He really has some nice stuff doesn’t he? I got a piece of (Suspected) reptile skin in one of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 57 minutes ago, Randyw said: piece of (Suspected) reptile skin You mean it doesn't look like this ? Oh, and, worms molt ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Nope it doesn’t. And it’s not exactly a molt some organisms seem to just have the skin preserved in the amber. I haven’t been able to find out why. Wether the insides rotted out before enclosed in the amber or they just become translucent In the amber or what I couldn’t say. But you’ll find just the outsides of something’s in perfect shape and complete but see through.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 An example of a complete but see through specimen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 But anyway I love that specimen you have @daves64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 My initial reaction was to think of the foxglove flower that caught my attention the other day. Pulled one from the vegetable garden before it went to seed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Looks like fly maggot 1 My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 14 hours ago, Randyw said: An example of a complete but see through specimen I've got one bug that makes this one look mostly opaque, not sure what it is, other than the ghost of a bug. I'll have to organize the pics & post them. Had to get creative to take the pics to show any real detail. Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbi Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Looks like an insect larvae of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotalker Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 This looks like a diptera larvae (maggot) to me as well. The little black triangles are denticles and are found in bands on the ventral surface to provide traction to the crawling larvae. I have seen many larvae in burmite and many look deflated as this one. I don't know about all diptera species, but larvae cuticles become the pupae so it probably isn't a molt. Hope this helps a year later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotalker Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 correction: earliest larvae do molt and only the largest and last larvae form pupae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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