Phylum Arthropoda; Subphylum Myriapoda; Class Chilopoda; Family Geophilidae
Geological Time: Pleistocene to Pliocene
Size: Amber is 110 by 45 mm; 61.7 grams
Fossil Site: Andes mountains in Colombia
 There
300 insects in this large fossil amber specimen.
Mostly they are Dipterans. There is another Arthropod inclusion from Subphylum
Myriapoda, a centipede. Centipedes are extremely rare in amber. This specimen
is a member of Family Geophilidae, as confirmed by Professor Robert Woodruff,
Entomologist Emeritist. The name Geophilidae means "soil loving"' hence
the common term Soil Centipedes. The Centipedes differ from Millipedes in having
a single pair of legs per segment, The Geophilidae can have anywhere from 31 to
173 pairs of legs, giving them their ribbonlike appearance. |
