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Name:
Parasitic Mite on Cranefly
Age: Oligocene
Formation: Amber Mines
Location: Dominican Republic
Size: Amber piece is 0.55 inches long
This fossil is a very rare glimpse into ancient Parasitic behaviour. This is a large Cranefly being attacked by a Parasitic Mite (Acari). This activity was all captured in this chunk of Baltic Amber. You can easily see the phoretic Mite attached to the leg of the Cranefly. The Mite would like to feed on the life juices of the host fly. This is an uncommon occurrence in the fossil record, and an example this dramatic is extremely rare. This is a textbook example of parasitic behaviour that is 50 Million Years Old (small close-up photo is included for free).
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