Title Information

WEITSCHAT, Wolfgang & Wilfried WICHARD:

Atlas of Plants and Animals in Baltic Amber

1	Introduction	9
1.1	Basic information on amber	9
1.1.1	Resin – Copal – Amber	9
1.1.2	Amber – The "burning stone"	9
1.1.3	Amber deposits	9
1.1.4	Geographical origins of amber	10
1.1.5	The age of amber	10
1.1.6	The source of amber	11
1.2	Genesis of Baltic amber	11
1.2.1	Overview	11
1.2.2	Natural shapes of amber	12
1.2.3	Color and transparency of amber	13
1.2.4	The resin-producer	13
1.3	Distribution of Baltic amber	17
1.4	Baltic amber deposits	22
1.4.1	Blue earth of the Samland Peninsula	22
1.4.2	Ukrainian amber	23
1.4.3	Bitterfeld deposits	25
1.4.4	Bitterfeld amber inclusions	26
1.5	The climate at the time of Baltic amber	27
1.6	Fossils in Baltic amber	29
1.6.1	Inclusions	29
1.6.2	The fossilization process	29
1.6.3	Stability and aging	30
1.6.4	Tissue preservation	31
1.7	Flora and fauna of Baltic amber	33
1.7.1	Significance of resin preservation	33
1.7.2	Plant inclusions	34
1.7.3	Animal inclusions	34
1.7.4	Scenes of life in amber	35
1.8	Aquatic insects in Baltic amber	36
1.8.1	Aquatic fauna	36
1.8.2	Aquatic biotopes of the 'amber forest'	37
1.9	Biogeographical aspects	38
2	Flora and Fauna of Baltic amber	40
2.01	Ferns – Pteridophyta	40
2.02	Mosses and liverworts – Bryophyta	42
2.03	Flowering plants: gymnosperms – Spermatophyta: Gymnospermae	44
2.04	Resin-producing conifers – Spermatophyta: Gymnospermae	46
2.05	Flowering plants: angiosperms – Spermatophyta: Angiospermae	48
2.06	Systematic overview of the flowering plants in amber – Spermatophyta	50
2.07	Worms – Nematoda, Annelida	52
2.08	Snail shells in Baltic amber – Mollusca: Gastropoda	54
2.09	Scorpions in Baltic amber – Arachnida: Scorpiones	56
2.10	Pseudoscorpions – Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones	58
2.11	Phoresy in pseudoscorpions – Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones	60
2.12	Harvestmen – Arachnida: Opiliones	62
2.13	Mites – Arachnida: Acari	64
2.14	Parasitism and phoresy in mites – Arachnida: Acari	66
2.15	Spiders in Baltic amber – Arachnida: Araneae	68
2.16	Frequency of amber spiders – Arachnida: Araneae	70
2.17	Climatic environment of amber spiders – Arachnida: Araneae	72
2.18	Biogeography of the amber spiders – Arachnida: Araneae	74
2.19	Spider webs in Baltic amber – Arachnida: Araneae	76
2.20	Brood care in amber spiders – Arachnida: Araneae	78
2.21	Crustaceans – Crustacea: Ostracoda, Isopoda, and Amphipoda	80
2.22	Myriapods – Myriapoda: Chilopoda, Symphyla, and Pauropoda	82
2.23	Myriapods – Myriapoda: Diplopoda	84
2.24	Diplurans and springtails – Insecta: Diplura and Collembola	86
2.25	Bristletails and silverfish – Insecta: Archaeognatha and Zygentoma	88
2.26	Mayflies – Insecta: Ephemeroptera	90
2.27	Mayfly species in Baltic amber – Insecta: Ephemeroptera	92
2.28	Dragonflies and damselflies – Insecta: Odonata	94
2.29	Stoneflies – Insecta: Plecoptera	96
2.30	Stonefly species in Baltic amber – Insecta: Plecoptera	98
2.31	Web spinners – Insecta: Embiidina	100
2.32	Earwigs – Insecta: Dermaptera	102
2.33	Mantids – Insecta: Mantodea	104
2.34	Cockroaches – Insecta: Blattaria	106
2.35	Termites – Insecta: Isoptera	108
2.36	Walking sticks – Insecta: Phasmatodea	110
2.37	Orthopterans – Insecta: Orthoptera	112
2.38	Psocids – Insecta: Psocoptera	114
2.39	Thrips – Insecta: Thysanoptera	116
2.40	Water bugs and water striders – Insecta: Heteroptera	118
2.41	Plant bugs – Insecta: Heteroptera (Miridae)	120
2.42	Flat bugs – Insecta: Heteroptera (Aradidae)	122
2.43	Assassin bugs – Insecta: Heteroptera (Reduviidae)	124
2.44	Lace bugs – Insecta: Heteroptera (Tingidae)	126
2.45	Winged cicadas – Insecta: Auchenorrhyncha	128
2.46	Cicada nymphs – Insecta: Auchenorrhyncha	130
2.47	Aphids – Insecta: Sternorrhyncha (Aphidoidea)	132
2.48	Coccids – Insecta: Sternorrhyncha (Coccoida)	134
2.49	Whiteflies, psyllids – Insecta: Sternorrhyncha (Aleyrodoidea, Psylloidea)	136
2.50	Fishflies – Insecta: Megaloptera (Corydalidae)	138
2.51	Alderflies – Insecta: Megaloptera (Sialidae)	140
2.52	Snakeflies – Insecta: Raphidioptera	142
2.53	Dustywings – Insecta: Planipennia (Coniopterygidae)	144
2.54	Aquatic lacewings – Insecta: Planipennia (Sisyridae, Neurorthidae)	146
2.55	Lacewings – Insecta: Planipennia (Berothidae, Osmylidae, Psychopsidae)	148
2.56	Lacewings – Insecta: Planipennia (Dilaridae, Chrysopidae, Ascalaphidae, Hemerobiidae)	150
2.57	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Cupedidae)	152
2.58	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Carabidae)	154
2.59	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae)	156
2.60	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Staphylinidae, Pselaphidae, Scydmaenidae)	158
2.61	Overview of amber beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera	160
2.62	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Scirtidae)	162
2.63	Preference of the beetles in the "amber forest" – Insecta: Coleoptera	164
2.64	Beetles as forest-dwellers – Insecta: Coleoptera	166
2.65	Beetles – Insecta: Coleoptera (Curculionidae)	168
2.66	Twisted-winged parasites – Insecta: Strepsiptera	170
2.67	Hymenopterans – Insecta: Hymenoptera	172
2.68	Hymenopterans – Insecta: Hymenoptera (Chalcidoidea)	174
2.69	Hymenopterans – Insecta: Hymenoptera (Chrysidoidea)	176
2.70	Ants – Insecta: Hymenoptera (Vespoidea)	178
2.71	Ants – Insecta: Hymenoptera (Vespoidea)	180
2.72	Bees and spheciform wasps – Insecta: Hymenoptera (Apoidea)	182
2.73	Overview of hymenopterans in Baltic amber – Insecta: Hymenoptera	184
2.74	Scorpionflies – Insecta: Mecoptera	186
2.75	Caddisflies – Insecta: Trichoptera	188
2.76	Systematic overview of amber caddisflies – Insecta: Trichoptera	190
2.77	Caddisflies in Baltic amber – Insecta: Trichoptera	192
2.78	Butterflies and moths in Baltic amber – Insecta: Lepidoptera	194
2.79	Caterpillars – Insecta: Lepidoptera	196
2.80	Nematocera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	198
2.81	Nematocera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	200
2.82	Anisopodidae and Tanyderidae in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	202
2.83	Culicomorpha in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	204
2.84	Brachycera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	206
2.85	Brachycera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	208
2.86	Brachycera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	210
2.87	Brachycera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	212
2.88	Brachycera in Baltic amber – Insecta: Diptera	214
2.89	Fleas in Baltic amber – Insecta: Siphonaptera	216
2.90	Lizards in Baltic amber – Vertebrata: Reptilia	218
2.91	Bird feathers in Baltic amber – Vertebrata: Aves	220
2.92	Mammalian hair in Baltic amber – Vertebrata: Mammalia	222
3	References	224
4	Index of Scientific Names	247