Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
"for those who are willing to continue learning"
Well said sir (or madam) and that's exactly why I for one, am here. (speaking of which)...
I just received an order of "Indonesian Blue" amber that has me puzzled, it DOES look navy blue in sunlight and has a very dense 'hue' but when i shine a strong led light through the back of it, all the samples are red based. The depth of colour thins out with cutting of course but under a loop i see small reddish dots of varying density throughout the flow. Has anyone had any experience with Borneo amber? I have googled around and have yet to find much on this product. I'm not even sure it is amber as it gums similar to copal "under the tool" at same rpms than either Chiapas or Baltic.
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Yeti No experience with amber from Borneo, But here is from Andrew Ross. Amber the natural time capsule Borneo amber is usually very dark red, almost black although yellow pieces also occur. The amber is generally slightly cloudy, so any inclusions appear blurred. Some of the yellow pieces have not fully fossilized and are still copal. It is middle Miocene in age
Sure You will find Poinar and Poinars book, The amber Forest, fascinating .
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Dave
Yes thanks, thats the stuff, dense...little red "pigments" and a bit cloudy,,,very different, no inclusions so far. If the rpm is lowered a bit on the tools, the amber is quite workable and polishes well.
I just received the Amber Forest book, (really great prologue) I haven't specifically seen my "Mexican Midge" but plate 132, (dance fly) seems pretty close on most counts especially considering the spiked hind legs (although appearing somewhat shorter). The book specimen also is missing the back hair (re:length and coarseness), but i do think these guys are cousins. My specimen's head is more like plate 120 (sans antennae) due to the the angle of the head.
So that's my guess, Mexican Yeti Dance Fly. Thank you Poinar & Poinar.
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi Yeti, how are you finding Poinars book ? Your fly puzzles me it as very long legs, also seems to have spiny legs. It must be sort of long legged fly.on myspace the amber group. Anders Damgaard, is very well up on incusions in amber, especially flies, sure he would help you
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Hi Dave
Poinar's book is excellent in my opinion, very readable by one and all and an invaluable reference for Dominican specimens.
My vote is for colourplate 132, page 131 Empididae:Diptera (Dance Fly), check your book and notice the blur on the back of the sample, i'll bet that blur is backhairs out of focus.
I reviewed the specimen with a stronger lens and found the antennae and they match up, also i did some judicious sanding and have a different view of another smaller specimen with a good head shot, the backhair is there and the legs are spiked, although to a lesser degree and shorter than my specimen#1. I'm thinking that specimen#1 is maybe the grandaddy of the clan or at least a male of the species and specimen#2 "may be" the more delicate female.
What I wouldn't give for a 160x stereo microscope/camera right now. I notice that is the tool Anders Damgaard is using and i've never seen better pictures on his flicker pages. Thanks for that info.
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi Yeti. I am in Jaipur India, here for afew weeks,and do not have access to Poinars book. OK Diptera = two wings, so it is some kind of fly I think it could be a Advanced fly(Cyclorrapha) If You post phote of your fly to Anders, sure he would know what sort of fly it is and if it is rare are you close to a major city, Ottawa or Toronto,You are on the east side of Canada ? Take it in to the Natural History Museum Regards Dave
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Jaipur? 39 degreesyesterday? Hot enough for you? I googled it on the map and there's an area and a fort called Amber just up NH8 to the NNW a bit, coincidence?
Yes, I'm in Ottawa and i was thinking of that but im pretty sure it's a Mexican Dance Fly. Specimen 2 was the "tell". If i ever come across a decent deal on a microscope, i'll post pics.
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi I have just spent sometime in Simojovel, the small town next to the amber mines.Managed to get a few good pieces.Saw some very large pieces of rough red amber, but they seemed to be highly oxidized and likely to craze and crack. I will be back in Simojovel in a few weeks time, so will post again later
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Very nice pieces there Dave, so thats it...if you want the good ones, you have to go to Chiapas. My finds this year were ok but typically small in the Banderas Bay area...good tequila though...lol.
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Unfortunately my tablet pics are not being accepted by the board, i reduced the resolution to 256 and the size to under 500x500, it must be a playbook issue. If i can resolve this, i will put them up.
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:36 am Posts: 35 Location: Canada
Barbra, Fun with light...The samples were acquired by me as Indonesian amber except for the goldfish which is baltic. In Pic#3 the light is direct sunlight. In pic#2 the light is a led showing the red and white bands in the flow. Pic#1 shows light from a small blacklight source, now the amber has floresced blue. The plum coloured samples all do the same thing under a black light turning a vivid turquois/teal/blue, (the camera doesn't do them justice.) All the samples were purchased in as rough stones and then worked by me. The "neatest" thing of all is not visible in these shots, the goldfish has a very small spider in his throat, just as it was 40 million years ago.
Yeti
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