WELCOME TO THE
Flashing Dead Bugs
FOR LOVERS OF FOSSILS &
DEAD THINGS IN AMBER

All bugs are insects, not all insects are bugs
Official mantra of The Dead Bug in Amber Club




The club is home-made and home-spun
The club house was last cleaned up March 29, 2008

Discover more about the master of
The Dead Bug in Amber Club


The "Master" of The Dead Bug in Amber Club with
an amber dealer at La Toca, Dominican Republic


The journey begins here in the mine

Mining tunnel - La Cumbre mine
La Cumbre, Dominican Republic
This picture appears in the May 2006 issue
of Natural History magazine.

mantid
Mantis in Dominican amber



Mating Bugs (hemiptera)



Mating wasps (hymenoptera)


Short cut to my inventory page with my offerings of
Amber with inclusions,
and
Amber and Larimar jewelry
from the Dominican Republic
Click here


AUG 2001 - Burmite amber from Myanmar (Burma)
It is 100 million years old.
This dinosaur-aged amber was lasted available 70 years ago.



Somewhere in the world, sap is oozing from a tree. An insect or perhaps a flower may drop upon this golden liquid and become encased in it. Given the proper conditions and the passing of time, it could become amber.
Amber and the life preserved within has caused fascination since prehistoric times. Prehistoric people took this strange stone, carved it and adorned themselves with it. Amber carvings have been found dating back 9000 years. European and Asian artisans have elevated this art and created objects of beauty and wonder.
A variety of things have became trapped in sap as it oozed from trees. Insects are among the most common inclusions found in amber where as lizards, frogs and mammal remains are among the rarest.

Mommy, tell me more about AMBER

  • What is amber and where is it found?
  • Does all amber come from the same kind of trees?
  • Difference between amber, copal, and plastic?
  • What has been found in amber?
  • What can be learned from amber inclusions?

What about those ICKY BUGS

  • What makes an insect an insect?
  • Are fossils in amber like other types of fossils?
  • Language entomology

Visit THE AMBER BAZAAR to satisfy your desire for amber




Andrew Ross, of the Natural History Museum in London, has written this book introducing the subject of amber. The book is very informative and easy to read.

I have copies of the book for sale. Price--$13.00 plus shipping
Let me know if you'd like a copy.



This book was published in May 2005.

Loupe
Need to get a closer view of the world?
I have a high quality, inexpensive loupe for sale.
Contact me for more information.

Bob Keller of Bob's Rock Shop has written a review of the Belomo loupe.
To read his review, click here.





The Dead Bug in Amber Club
IN THE NEWS

An article describing my pursuits with amber has been published in a local journal.
Click here
to read the article.






I have collected these new species of insects in New Jersey amber
Brownimencia clavata -- new species of Ant
Archicnephia ornithoraptor -- new species of Black fly
Vianagramma goldmani -- new species of lace bug
Borephemera goldmani -- new species of mayfly
I have been honored by having the last 2 insects I collected on this list named after me.


These insects now reside at the American Museum of Natural History in New York

This is a drawing of the lace bug named after me. The scientific paper describing this insect is found in the book on the right.


Aureofungus yaniguaensis
newly described extinct species of mushroom
Mycologia 95(4),2003, pp.685-687
I was able to purchase this mushroom in amber pictured on the left in the Dominican Republic.
Mushrooms in amber are extremely rare. Only 4 or 5 have been reported.
Dr. David Hibbett of Clark University studied this specimen and determined it to be an extinct, new genus and species of mushroom.
The paper describing the mushroom is published in MYCOLOGIA
I obtained this specimen in 2000 while in the Dominican Republic.
It is now part of the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.
Image taken by Pat Craig

Stingless bee (Proplebeia dominicana ) with orchid (Meliorchis caribea ) pollen
This specimen represents the first definitive fossil of the orchid family.
Nature vol.448/30 August 2007/ page 1042


I want to encourage the amateur collector from 6 to 99 to know that you can make a contribution to science. I am an amateur collector and I've been able to make a contribution to science.

SO CAN YOU!!!
GOOD LUCK




The movie studios of

The Dead Bug in Amber Club
presents
Insects I've Known and Loved
(in six legs)

For your private screening,
Enter Here

Tell me how you like the show.
The files are slow to load.



For the fossil lover who has ever wondered how to DATE a fossil, the answer is
HERE

Questions, questions, questions, how do you think of so many questions?
  • E-mail your questions about amber and the creatures stuck in amber, I'll try to get an answer for you.
  • Curious to know who's a member of The Dead Bug in Amber Club ? Check out the Membership List
  • Read the stories of our Members of Letters
  • Want to become a member of
    THE DEAD BUG in AMBER CLUB
    and receive an e-mail membership certificate suitable for framing?

    certificate
    The Dead Bug in Amber Club has
    603
    Members

    What to know more?
    CLICK HERE
I am looking for specimens of amber and copal from the different corners of the world for my own collection. Contact me if you have something for trade or can provide me with the names of contacts.

If you know of any amber collecting localities, I would like information about them.




OTHER WEBSITES ON AMBER AND RELATED TOPICS

Tell me of any related websites that I could add to links.
Gary Lacey -- All you need to know about searching and cleaning amber
Garry Platt -- an excellent and informative site on amber
Smithsonian Institution
World of Amber --Susie Ward Aber at Emporia State University, Kansas, USA
The Whyfiles
Websurfer's Biweekly Earth Science Review -- this site provides links to different earth science as well as other science sites.
Fossil Collections of the World -- Simon Biggs' site links you to other pages on paleontology, geology, and just about everything else.
Arboreal Gold - The website of fellow amber lover Tammi Johnson at the University of Kentucky.
Trilobase Database software - Danny Alexandre from Belgium offers a shareware database program to help you organize your fossil collection.
InsectNet.com - The purpose of this site is to provide a convenient forum for entomologists, insect collectors, insect hobbyists, traders, and dealers.
Bob's Rock Shop Bob Keller's website is a great resouce of information.
Amber Association in Poland This site provides information about the nature and history of Baltic amber.
Amber Discussion Group Join the discussion with other people interested in amber.
Gianfranco Rocchini Gianfranco shares his collection and knowledge on Baltic amber. In Italian, French and English.



e-mail address of:
Yale Goldman
snakefly99@hotmail.com






GnuHoo!