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PaleoNoel

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During what I like to call the fossil hunting off-season for folks up in New England you sometimes manage to find something sitting beneath your nose ever since you first found the piece. (i.e. a tooth or shell you missed in a conglomerate or an odd little vertebra you forgot you found at a microsite etc.) This is a similar case where it was only today that I found this tiny insect in some of the material I brought home this summer from Douglas Pass, Colorado (Green River fm. parachute creek member). I hadn't noticed the front of the body and legs until a few hours ago when re-examining the leaves and bugs specimens I picked up from the locality. After carefully picking away at the somewhat flaky matrix the rest of the body was revealed. I want to know what you think its identity is, my guess is mosquito or potentially mayfly. Thoughts? The length is about 3 mm from head to abdomen.

IMG_E3407.thumb.JPG.69871911ac00d7a7ebdaeefebe3505fc.JPG 

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The width of the wings suggests more likely a mayfly to me. 

Also at the end of the abdomen, could that be the 3 bristles mashed together or is it material squeezed out of the body? 

But then the comparatively long legs tends to favour mosquito. 

Nice specimen to find after the event! :)

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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4 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

The width of the wings suggests more likely a mayfly to me. 

Also at the end of the abdomen, could that be the 3 bristles mashed together or is it material squeezed out of the body? 

But then the comparatively long legs tends to favour mosquito. 

Nice specimen to find after the event! :)

Thanks! And it's hard to tell but i don't believe it has the bristles you mentioned. Although it may not be preserved, I don't see the proboscis of the mosquito but I'm not sure of the differences between species.

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Neat bug :) 

-Christian

Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy!

 

Q. Where do dinosaurs study?

A. At Khaan Academy!...

 

My ResearchGate profile

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Great find! 

I really enjoy looking back through my collection, and finding things I did not know were there.

 

I think your insect is a mosquito. It looks more like a mosquito than a mayfly, to me.

 

I hope you don't mind, ... I took the liberty of cropping and contrasting your photo, then comparing it with the original. 

There is the possibility that there are still some bits that are covered by matrix. 

IMG_E3407-333-horz.jpg

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

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Sweet!  :wub:

Don't know much about history

Don't know much biology

Don't know much about science books.........

Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World

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8 hours ago, doushantuo said:

Nice!

 

5 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Looks similar to this one from the same site.

IMG_1549.JPG

 

5 hours ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said:

Neat bug :) 

-Christian

 

3 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Great find! 

I really enjoy looking back through my collection, and finding things I did not know were there.

 

I think your insect is a mosquito. It looks more like a mosquito than a mayfly, to me.

 

I hope you don't mind, ... I took the liberty of cropping and contrasting your photo, then comparing it with the original. 

There is the possibility that there are still some bits that are covered by matrix. 

IMG_E3407-333-horz.jpg

 

1 hour ago, caldigger said:

All of a sudden I'm starting to itch!

 

1 hour ago, SailingAlongToo said:

Sweet!  :wub:

 

1 hour ago, ynot said:

Nice find!

I agree with a mosquito.

Thanks everyone, I was excited to find this little guy! I think i'm gonna go with mosquito based on the body and legs.

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