Tailor Made Holidays in Burma: In the News

Fossilised mid-fight bug found in Burma: 31-08-2007

A beetle in the middle of a fight has been found perfectly preserved in amber in the Hukawng Valley in Burma.

At one quarter of an inch long, the beetle was in the process of spraying its larger attacker with chemical repellents when it was encased in tree sap to be conserved for the future.

The discovery has been able to show scientists that the chemical defence response has been present in insects for over 100 million years.

George Poinar Jr, a courtesy professor of zoology at Oregon State University, said: "You have a prehistoric insect being attacked, using its defences to ward off the predator and the whole event becoming captured in action as sap flowed down a tree. It's quite remarkable.

"Insects give us a fascinating window to the world, and they are survivors," he added. "These insects were here a long time before humans, and we can learn a great deal from their remains. And they'll probably still be here a long time after our species is gone."



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