Jump to content

Question regarding differentiating mosquitos, gnats, midges etc. in Burmese amber


Vytis

Recommended Posts

I was wondering is there any way to determine the differences between these insects in Burmese amber? Is there anything different in comparison to their modern counterparts? I am looking into getting a mosquito, but midges look almost identical with the exception of the proboscis. 

  • Enjoyed 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately the characteristics used to tell apart different fly families that appear superficially similar is going to be through tiny details. You'd need to put your amber specimen underneath a stereo microscope to differentiate them, and even then you'd need to have the right angle. My first suggestion would be to look at the mouthparts, although you've already mentioned you know about this (mouthpart morphology has been very useful for me when identifying Dipterans from the Florissant fossil beds down to family). My next suggestion would be to look for oblong scales on the wings, as these are present in the Culicidae (mosquitos) but absent in midges or gnats. See pictures below for references. 

 

Insects have changed very little since the end of the Cretaceous. Fossil insects from the Cenozoic almost certainly belong to a family, if not a genus, that is still extant. Therefore tools for identifying modern insects can be applied to Cenozoic fossil insects with high reliability, especially for family-level identification.

 

I am an entomology minor, so this is within my field of knowledge :D

 

Aedes_taeniorhynchus08.jpg.eb1945bb8a362e40d17440533fc72990.jpg

 

Psorophora_ferox09.jpg.ed0ace90a4f2f75b1f628449a9308fc5.jpg

 

Images source: University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology. 

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/Psorophora_ferox.htm

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/AQUATIC/aedes_taeniorhynchus.htm

Edited by Opabinia Blues
Added information about comparing fossil insects to modern insects.
  • I found this Informative 1
  • Enjoyed 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the information! This was really informative. Looks like I'm going to be heading over to my friend's house to use his microscope for a the few specimens I have. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very complicated..., needs lot of study in the wing-structure and parts at head and tail to be sure

I tried it with baltic amber-insects, and tried again, and tried again. All are midges :eyeroll:, gave it to a friend who has the right knowledge about

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...