Amber Listserv / From the bug box #1

[tbuck22 at optonline.net]

Andy, Don't be so upset. That is an awesome larva. On the backlit photos you can even see what appears to be its digestive tract. Good photography.Tom----- Original Message -----From: Andy Ng Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 6:28 amSubject: Amber Listserv / From the bug box #1To: amberlistserv > Hi guys.> > Most of the pieces in my bug box are chunks of Borneo resinite > that can be> up to a few hundred grams each, and contain shadowy indistinct > silhouetteswhich may be insects. Today I found out that > preparing a specimen for> identification is more laborious than I thought.> > First the entire chunk of resinite is sanded and polished > freeform-style in> order to see if there's more than one insect in it, then the > portions that> contain insects are slowly sawed into thin slices and these > fragile slices> are then sanded to 2000 grit and polished again...very slowlyyy, > for fear of> stress fractures occurring (and to prevent natural stress > fractures from> becoming worse). As you can see, there are several fractures in > this bit,> and I may have to stabilize them with transparent epoxy resin.> > To my disappointment, this bit of amber (see attached photos) > did not> contain an insect, but rather some kind of > grub/larva/caterpillar. It could> have been worse. At first, when the shadowy outlines started > appearing, I> thought it was just another bloody bit of moss or frass or fern > leaflet. At> least it's a young insect. Almost 3 bloody hours of bloody labor > for it.> I'll do more slices when I have time/energy and hope the next > ones have> wings and/or exoskeletons.> > Andy> 
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