This a BEAUTIFUL gem quality piece of amber with a Rare Pristine Parasitoid Beetle from the Ripiphoridae family from the late Cretaceous of Myanmar! The Beetle is in incredible condition with all limbs, segments, and even antennae articulated and in fine detail! It measures 4 mm, which is very large for a burmite insect! The amber is a gorgeous gold Citrine color with excellent gem quality clarity! The amber's dimensions measure 11.65 x 11.57 x 2.2 millimeters! It comes in a floating frame with a stand, blown up pictures of the inclusions, and detailed information for easy transport and a beautiful display!
Ripiphoridae are also known as "Wedge Shaped Beetles". They are parasitoids, which means their life cycle depends on taking advantage of another animal as a host, to the host's detriment. Hosts of choice vary from species to species, but are usually wasps, bees, and roaches. How they take advantage of the host varies as well, but usually involves laying their eggs at a spot where the species of host will come to, hatching, and then piggybacking to the nest of the host where they burrow into its larvae and devour them from the inside out. Then they mature, mate, lay eggs, and the cycle of horrors beyond our comprehension that we call life continues.
Amber is petrified tree resin (not sap, resin is much thicker). It forms when trees secrete resin, and the resin is quickly washed away by water and deposited in a lake where it is covered by sediment (if the resin isn’t washed away it decomposes or gets eaten). Along the way, small particles of dust, bits of plant material, and even small animals like insects and lizards can become trapped in the resin which hardens and preserves whatever is trapped within (aka inclusions). Myanmar amber, also known as Burmite, is world renowned gem quality amber known for excellent inclusions of insects, plants, and even small vertebrates! The preservation in amber can be so good it inspired a major portion of Jurassic Park, where blood sucking insects trapped in amber provided the DNA needed to clone dinosaurs! While the science of cloning dinosaurs from amber is, for better or worse, not a reality the pristine fossils of small animals that are rarely fossilized in any other way is very real! Makes for a terrific addition to any fossil collection or even a gem for high end jewelry!
Fake Amber is a plague on the fossil market, this piece has been tested to guarantee authenticity!
I do combined shipping upon request.
All my items come with a Certificate of Authenticity!
Inclusions: Ripiphoridae (parasitoid "wedge shaped beetle")
Size: 11.65 x 11.57 x 2.2 mm (amber), 4 mm (beetle)
Clarity: Excellent
Color: Gold Citrine
Found: Hukawng Valley, Myanmar
Age: 99 million years old
Alteration: polished