Spiders and Insects in Fossil Amber
Phylum Arthropoda; Subphylum Chelicerata; Class Arachnida; Order Araneae; Family Salticidae
and, Class Insecta; Orders Hymenoptera & Diptera
Geological Time: Pliocene to Pleistocene
Size: Amber 37 mm long , 33 mm across, 8.1 grams
Fossil Site: Andean Uplift Region, Andes Mountains, Colombia
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This
fossil amber displays a pair of Jumping Spiders some 5 mm and 3
mm in length. They are members of the Family Salticidae, a name
derived from saltere (to jump). They sneak up on their prey, then
pounce, earning them the name Jumping Spiders. They are accompanied
by a tiny wasp and a dark-winged fungus gnat. Spiders are usually
found where there are insects, such as here as inclusions in fossil
amber.
