Atlas of Plants and Animals in Baltic Amber (e-book)

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

Dr. Wolfgang WEITSCHAT is lecturer and curator at the Geological-Palaeontological Institute and Museum at the University of Hamburg. His main fields of research are the palaeobiology of ammonoids and the palaeontology of the fossils from the Baltic amber.

Dr. Wilfried WICHARD is Full Professor of the Institute of Biology and its Didactic at the University of Cologne. His main fields of research are the evolutionary biology of insects, mainly water insects, and the palaeobiology of insects from the Baltic amber.