Insect head in burmese amber

[Fossilcollector88]

Insect head in burmese amber

Hello all, I found an interesting piece of amber from Myanmar with a large insect head in it, the head is about 5 mm in size. 

It shows three teeth like serrations, I suspect it to be a wasp. Its a bit degraded but still interesting to me. 

Anyone have some ideas what it could be?

[trilobites_are_awesome]

Looks like a termite head to me.

[debivort]

I think the antennae might be too long for a termite? I get beetle vibes.

[Fossilcollector88]

Beetle/termite, interesting suggestions. But when I google their mandibles it doesnt show these three “teeth” that are so prominently there.

[debivort]

I think those are teeth on the mandibles. with palps below. Seems like you might just have one mandible remaining.  Here's a tiger beetle.

[Fossilcollector88]

Ok, Tiger beetle it is. Now on the search to something very similar I found this: Coleoptera, Adephaga, Cicindelidae

 

URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361869536_The_first_tiger_beetle_Coleoptera_Adephaga_Cicindelidae_from_mid-Cretaceous_Kachin_amber_northern_Myanmar

 

the mandible is not a perfect match with that of my specimen, but maybe thats because its degraded a bit. Or perhaps its a different beetle all together.

[debivort]

Oh, I don't think it's necessarily a *tiger* beetle. I think many beetles have toothed mandibles, palps and antennae that look like that. In fact, those antennae rule out tiger beetle. My comment earlier just indicated a general sense of beetle-ness, and even that not super high confidence.

[Fossilcollector88]

I agree with the beetle-ness. Would you or anyone have an idea what kind of beetle it could be based on those long antenna? 

[debivort]

I tried googling for "beetle with long moniliform antennae" meaning like beads on a necklace and didn't find any good hits. But there are soooo many beetles.

[Fossilcollector88]

Well that is already something I can use, I will do some googling also and get back with what i can find. Thanks!!

[Fossilcollector88]

Ok, found:

 

ground beetle, Coleoptera: Carabidae: Oodini. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667114001050

but that is missing the mandible. Found also:

 

Termites, 

https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/8a690cb4-a6e6-41ed-9ce9-13ac055e7e28/PubMedCentral/8a690cb4-a6e6-41ed-9ce9-13ac055e7e28.pdf

 

but the antennae is a bit on the short side, and with specific class termites that have long enough antennae the mandibles don’t really match.

 

 

 

[Fossilcollector88]

18 hours ago, Fossilcollector88 said:

Ok, found:

 

ground beetle, Coleoptera: Carabidae: Oodini. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667114001050

but that is missing the mandible. Found also:

 

Termites, 

https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/8a690cb4-a6e6-41ed-9ce9-13ac055e7e28/PubMedCentral/8a690cb4-a6e6-41ed-9ce9-13ac055e7e28.pdf

 

but the antennae is a bit on the short side, and with specific class termites that have long enough antennae the mandibles don’t really match.

 

 

 

Its not that termite either, there is too many articles in the antenna.. this is very difficult..

[holdinghistory]

I would agree with beetle. Hard to tell an exact species, many many species of beetles, and the preservation is not the greatest.

[Yoda]

Agree with others above. 

Looks like a beetle. 

[Fossilcollector88]

Yes, a beetle. Any clue as to what kind of beetle? 

[Yoda]

I have an extensive Burmite (with inclusions) collection. 

Have found it's quite difficult to get an exact id.

 

I try and match specimens up to extant species.

That's prob the closest one will get without consulting an expert.  

[Fossilcollector88]

What would be the closest extant species?

[holdinghistory]

This one might be hard to identify more specifically as the preservation is not the greatest and it does not appear to be complete.