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Name:
Female Midge (Chironomidae) and Mite (Acari)
Age: Eocene
Formation: Amber Deposits
Location: Russia
Size: Amber Piece is 0.7 inches long
This fossil is a rare glimpse into ancient Parasitic behaviour. This is a Female Midge (Chironomidae) being "bled" by a Parasitic Mite (Acari). This activity was all captured in this chunk of Baltic Amber. You can easily see the phoretic Mite (with legs flailing) attached to the back of the Midge. The Mite would then feed on the life juices of the host Midge. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the fossil record, but an example this dramatic is very rare. This is a textbook example of parasitic behaviour that is 50 Million Years Old.
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