Burmite with Midge Inclusions. Burmite. Cretaceous. Hukawng Valley, Myitkyina District, Kachin State, Myanmar. ...

Description

Burmite with Midge Inclusions
Burmite
Cretaceous
Hukawng Valley, Myitkyina District, Kachin State, Myanmar
0.46 x 0.35 x 0.13 inches (1.17 x 0.88 x 0.34 cm)

Encased within this Amber specimen weighing 0.23 grams are nearly 30 biting midges, or Ceratopogonids-tiny blood-feeding flies often called "no-see-ums." These ancient insects played an important ecological role similar to that of mosquitoes taking small blood meals but without transmitting disease in the same manner. Given their feeding habits, biting midges of this age may once have drawn blood from Dinosaurs and their kin, offering a tantalizing link to prehistoric life. Alongside the clustered midges rests a single beetle inclusion, adding further depth to this miniature window into an ancient ecosystem. This exceptional piece preserves a rare and vivid record of Cretaceous insect behavior in remarkable detail.

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