Name: Robber
Fly Insect
Phylum
Arthropoda, Class
Insecta, Order Diptera, Family Asilidae
Geological
Time: Lower Cretaceous (125 million years ago)
Size (25.4
mm = 1 inch): 6 mm long; Matrix: 53 mm by 83 mm
Fossil
Site: Yixian Formation, Chaoyang, Liaoning Province of China
 Description:
The Class Insecta is well represented in Liaoning and Hebei Provinces
of China, with over 500 species referable to over 100 families based
upon over 10,000 specimens. This fantastic diversity and exquisite
detail is unprecedented throughout the world. This example is a
member of the Asilidae, or Robber Flies. Modfern-day members of
this family are predaceous, so perhaps these were as well. Diptera
are quite uncommon specimens from the biota, so this is a most unusual
fossil. This is a fine specimen with incredible detail preserved,
particularly in the wings, from the dim past of 125 million years
ago.
|
|
