Images: Amazing Dominican Amber Trove

Electrotettix attenboroughi
A newly-discovered pygmy locust species in Dominican amber. (Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

New fossil finds

Wasp

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

This wasp was discovered in amber collected from the Dominican Republic in 1959, then set aside and rediscovered in 2011. [Read the full story.]

Mating flies

Mating flies

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

Two flies trapped in sticky tree resin as they mated millions of years ago.

Flower bud

Flower bud

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

The head of a pygmy locust rests near a flower bud in amber.

Pygmy locust

Pygmy locust

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

A new species of pygmy locust named for British naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Electrotettix attenboroughi.

Larvae

Larvae

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

Larvae of an unknown species in the Illinois Natural History Survey's amber collection.

Biting midge

Biting midge

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

Biting midges are tiny, blood-sucking flies that are rarely found as fossils but are perfectly preserved in amber.

Gall midge

Gall midge

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

A gall midge entombed in amber.

Mammal hairs

Mammal hairs

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

Hairs from an unknown mammal species.

Azteca ant

Azteca ant

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

Azteca ants are a tropical species that live in trees.

Beetle

Beetle in amber

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

A beetle found in amber from the Dominican Republic.

Fungus gnat

Fungus gnat

(Image credit: Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey)

The delicate limbs and wings of a fungus gnat were preserved for 20 million years in amber.

Becky Oskin
Contributing Writer
Becky Oskin covers Earth science, climate change and space, as well as general science topics. Becky was a science reporter at Live Science and The Pasadena Star-News; she has freelanced for New Scientist and the American Institute of Physics. She earned a master's degree in geology from Caltech, a bachelor's degree from Washington State University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.