Fossil Insects?

[RJB]

I just found my fossil insect file. Here is some kind of underwater larva that I found many years ago. I found many layers of these that were soooooooo thick that you could not tell what was what, but this one was purty much by itself and very very detailed!!! Im still in awe over this one!!! wow!!

RB

Oh, green river stuff from bonanza or dougless pass? Eocene.

[RJB]

I hope im not repeating myself? I have sooo many fossils that I cant keep trak of what ive posted? Poor me right? Ha!!! Anyways, here is a very nice detailed 'snout beetle'. I have no idea as to what species. Found this one a few years back. Enjoy

RB

[kauffy]

i think insect fossils have got to be one of the coolest types of fossils you can collect...in places such as the GRF they are so detailed almost like they were just squished onto the rock! i also like how the thinner tissues give the effect of transparency, nice finds Ron, certainly some of my favorites!

[darren]

keep posting who cares if you already showed them we like pictures

Killer fossils!!

[Guest Nicholas]

Sweet insects, I really like the snout beetle.

[Gatorman]

Awesome stuff, keep posting.

[fossil man]

i have bought a few amber pieces with insects in them, i must they are very small insects. i dont have a microscope with a camera adapter so sorry no photos, but the thought that inside the amber case is the complete body of something long ago. i think that is why amber interest me so much, it also has that jurrasic park flare to it. does anyone else buy or find amber with inclusions

[Guest solius symbiosus]

i have bought a few amber pieces with insects in them, i must they are very small insects. i dont have a microscope with a camera adapter so sorry no photos, but the thought that inside the amber case is the complete body of something long ago. i think that is why amber interest me so much, it also has that jurrasic park flare to it. does anyone else buy or find amber with inclusions

Can you photograph them using a hand lens held up to the aperture of your camera?

RJB, keep them coming. I love Arthropods(especially grilled ).

[RJB]

These are actualy quite common, and if you get into the right layer, you can find hundreds of em! but here is a nicely detailed mosquito larva.

RB

Oh, comes from the Parachute memeber of the Green River Formation

[RJB]

Ok, im purty dang sure this is some kind of fly which just happens to have two beetle wing cases near ist head. Thats my guess anyways.

RB

[RJB]

Here is a neato one that my eldest son found about 8 or 9 years ago. I think its a damsel fly? If you look very carefully, you can see the actual bottom left and right wings and the top right wing. They are very delicate lines ending in a tiny spot of color at the tips of the wings.

RB

[RJB]

Here are two bugs that I bought from a fossil dealer from South America while at Tucson one year. I wish I would have bought more. Looking back I can not believe how cheap these were!!!

RB

[ShadyW]

The Damsel fly is beautiful!

I'm no insect expert, but I'd suggest that the "fly with beetle wing cases" is actually a flying beetle of some sort, and that the cases are associated with the winged fossil. I've seen plenty of flying insects in the modern world that have thin delicate wings folded under hard cases - the common Ladybird (Ladybug in the US?) is a perfect example.

[Guest Nicholas]

Beautiful insects, I always like how most insects fossilize. They make great show pieces. I don't have any yet but I'm searching the market for some to add to my collection. I was wondering what do you guys think about amber insects?

[Guest Cris]

Beautiful insects, I always like how most insects fossilize. They make great show pieces. I don't have any yet but I'm searching the market for some to add to my collection. I was wondering what do you guys think about amber insects?

I think there's more amber fakes out there than anything else. I would love some real pieces, but until I'm experienced enough to tell the difference in the fakes and real ones, I'm staying away.

[Guest Nicholas]

I think there's more amber fakes out there than anything else. I would love some real pieces, but until I'm experienced enough to tell the difference in the fakes and real ones, I'm staying away.

Good point, I would seriously have to buy from a trusted collector with the knowledge to tell the difference or a trusted dealer.

[RJB]

Hey guys, Im no expert, but there is a big difference between 'Copal' and 'True Amber'! Copal is very young tree sap (maybe a million or two?), and true amber is much older, (even cretaceous and older). The biggest difference is that Copal can be burned with a hot needle and smell like pine burning. True amber will not burn with a hot needle. Also, if you put a drop of acitone on copal it will get soft and tacky to the touch, true amber will not be affected at all. There are other more detailed test such as UV light, flotation, (spicific gravity) and polarized light, but using the simple hot needle test will tell you weather you have 'copal' or "true amber'. These test are used weather or not there are inclusions. And yeah, there are fakes out there, but those are usualy the so called rare big bugs to be used for money in fossil sales and usually dont include the much cheaper copal amber that can sometimes be loaded with little bugs and such? Real true amber with inclusions is much more expensive than copal amber with inclusions to collectors. The price is usually the clue. I hope this helps.

RB

[Guest Nicholas]

Hey guys, Im no expert, but there is a big difference between 'Copal' and 'True Amber'! Copal is very young tree sap (maybe a million or two?), and true amber is much older, (even cretaceous and older). The biggest difference is that Copal can be burned with a hot needle and smell like pine burning. True amber will not burn with a hot needle. Also, if you put a drop of acitone on copal it will get soft and tacky to the touch, true amber will not be affected at all. There are other more detailed test such as UV light, flotation, (spicific gravity) and polarized light, but using the simple hot needle test will tell you weather you have 'copal' or "true amber'. These test are used weather or not there are inclusions. And yeah, there are fakes out there, but those are usualy the so called rare big bugs to be used for money in fossil sales and usually dont include the much cheaper copal amber that can sometimes be loaded with little bugs and such? Real true amber with inclusions is much more expensive than copal amber with inclusions to collectors. The price is usually the clue. I hope this helps.

RB

Thanks for the information RB, I had no idea how to tell the fakes apart from the real amber. This will help me a lot. I know a lot better now, maybe now I can eventually collect a few amber insects.

[RJB]

Thanks for the information RB, I had no idea how to tell the fakes apart from the real amber. This will help me a lot. I know a lot better now, maybe now I can eventually collect a few amber insects.

Hey Nicholas,, you are more than welcome. But believe me, I am no expert. I have bought some 'copal' in years past, and because of that I did some research. But once I learned what the 'true amber' was and realized the price, I gave up on that. I had lots more fossil directions to go in and am still doing that. Its just super neato to be able to find sooooooo many different fossils in sooooo many different places, I dont think it will ever end for me. This is just a super great hobbie. Plus, my wife says im just an overgrown kid. I still like to dig in the dirt!! Ha!!!

RB