Bitterfeld amber (Grabenhorst collection) (Eocene of Germany)

Also known as Saxonian amber

Where: Halle, Germany (51.6° N, 12.4° E: paleocoordinates 50.4° N, 8.0° E)

When: Priabonian (38.0 - 33.9 Ma)

• Bitterfeld amber occurs in the "Bernsteinschluff" Horizon, i.e. a part of the Upper "Bitterfelder Glimmersand" in the upper part of the Cottbus Formation. Detailed biostratigraphic investigations favor an uppermost Chattian age for the unit. Originally assigned a Miocene age, and then thought to be redeposited Baltic amber. The chemical composition of Bitterfeld amber is distinct from true Baltic amber (e.g., Sodhi et al., 2013). Hydrogen isotopes indicate that Baltic and Bitterfeld ambers have distinct geographic sources, but carbon isotopes and insects suggest Baltic and Bitterfeld ambers are coeval in age (Wolfe et al., 2016).

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithified amber

Size class: mesofossils

Preservation: soft parts, original chitin, amber

Collection methods: Repository: Universität Göttingen (some earlier specimens donated to Geologisch-Paläontologische Institute, Universität Hamburg, GPIH/GPIUH)

Primary reference: J. Wunderlich. 2008. Descriptions of fossil spider (Araneae) taxa mainly in Baltic amber, as well as on certain related extant taxa. Beiträge zur Araneologie 5:44-139 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 147606: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 10.07.2013

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Insecta
 Lepidoptera - Micropterigidae
Wichardius fossiliphilus7 Mey 2019 moth
Grabenhorst Ld-35, Ld-48, Ld-64
Klausnitzerellus saxonicus7 Mey 2019 moth
Grabenhorst Ld-36, Ld-51
 Trichoptera - Leptoceridae
Electroadicella bitterfeldi8 Wichard 2013 long-horned caddisfly
Grohn 3292
 Trichoptera - Polycentropodidae
Plectrocnemia paulseni n. sp.9 Wichard and Weitschat 1996 caddisfly
 Hymenoptera - Apidae
Amelikertotes clypeata2 Engel 2001 bee
 Hemiptera - Xylococcidae
Xylococcus grabenhorsti6 Koteja 2008 true bug
Grabenhorst Coc-11, Coc-18
 Hemiptera - Weitschatidae
Weitschatus stigmatus6 Koteja 2008 true bug
Grabenhorst Coc-41
 Hemiptera - Miridae
Metoisops grabenhorsti n. sp.5 Herczek and Popov 2014 plant bug
GPIH Grabenhorst Het-7
 Hemiptera - Tingidae
Intercader saxonicus n. sp.3 Golub and Popov 2007 lace bug
GPIH 4601 (ex. Grabenhorst coll.)
 Hemiptera - Aradidae
Aradus grabenhorsti n. sp.4 Heiss 2013 flat bug
Arachnida
 Araneae - Archaeidae
Archaea paradoxa12 Koch and Berendt 1854 spider
Saxonarchaea diabolica12 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-76, AR-79
 Araneae - Telemidae
? Telema moritzi11 Wunderlich 2004 long-legged cave spider
Grabenhorst AR-93, AR-98
 Araneae - Anapidae
Balticoroma serafinorum15 Wunderlich 2004 spider
AR-26,AR-99
Balticoroma ernstorum15 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-68
Ruganapis scutata24 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst Ar-170
Saxonanapis grabenhorsti n. sp.15 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Fossilanapis eichmanni n. sp.15 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Eichmann
 Araneae - Nesticidae
Eopopino rudloffi n. sp.18 Wunderlich 2004 cave cobweb spider
Grabenhorst AR-65
 Araneae - Theridiosomatidae
Eotheridiosoma sp.14 Wunderlich 2004 ray spider
Grabenhorst
 Araneae - Mysmenidae
Mysmena groehni15 Wunderlich 2004 spurred orb-weaver
Grabenhorst
 Araneae - Synotaxidae
Eosynotaxus bitterfeldensis n. sp.17 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-36
 Araneae - Araneidae
"Graea bitterfeldensis n. sp." = Eustaloides bitterfeldensis13
"Graea bitterfeldensis n. sp." = Eustaloides bitterfeldensis13 Wunderlich 2004 orb-weaving spider
Grabenhorst AR-56
 Araneae - Cyatholipidae
Balticolipus kruemmeri16 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-99
Succinilipus sp.16 Wunderlich 1993 spider
At least one male and AR-98 (female)
Succinilipus saxoniensis n. sp.10 Wunderlich 1993 spider
GPIH 3600 (coll. Kutscher)
 Araneae - Theridiidae
Ulesanis parva n. sp.23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Eichmann AR-41
? Lasaeola "sp. 2"23 Simon 1881 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-156
Lasaeola "sp. 3"23 Simon 1881 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-164a
Lasaeola latisulci23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-87
Lasaeola bitterfeldensis n. sp.23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-102
Lasaeola infulata23 Koch and Berendt 1854 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-4, AR-155
Lasaeola communis23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-183
? Lasaeola sigillata n. sp.23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-164
Episinus longimanus23 Koch and Berendt 1854 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-85
Clya supercalefacta23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH H. Grabenhorst coll AR-94
Euryopis bitterfeldensis23 Wunderlich 2008 cobweb spider
GPIUH Grabenhorst AR-165
 Araneae - Linyphiidae
Paralabulla bitterfeldensis n. gen. n. sp.19
Paralabulla bitterfeldensis n. gen. n. sp.19 Wunderlich 2004 money spider/sheet weaver
Grabenhorst
 Araneae - Zoropsidae
Succiniropsis kutscheri20 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-20
 Araneae - Salticidae
Gorgopsina frenata22 Koch and Berendt 1854 spider
Grabenhorst AR-44
 Araneae - Liocranidae
Apostenus bigibber21 Wunderlich 2004 spider
Grabenhorst AR-40
 Araneae - Thomisidae
Thomisiraptor sp.25 Wunderlich 2004 crab spider
Grabenhorst Ar-159, 168
 Araneae - Pholcidae
Paraspermophora sp.11 Wunderlich 2004 daddy long-legs spider
Grabenhorst; Eichmann 110
 Araneae - Oonopidae
Orchestina (Baltorchestina) sp.24 Wunderlich 2008 goblin spider
Grabenhorst Ar-172
Orchestina (Baltorchestina) bitterfeldensis n. sp. Wunderlich 2008 goblin spider
GPIUH H. Grabenhorst coll AR-167
"Orchestina (Baltorchestina) rectangulata n. sp." = Orchestina (Baltorchestina) angulata24 Wunderlich 2012 goblin spider
Grabenhorst, no number
Orchestina (Baltorchestina) imperialis24 Petrunkevitch 1963 goblin spider
Grabenhorst, no number
 Araneae - Dysderidae
Harpactea sp.24 Bristowe 1939 woodlouse hunter spider
Grabenhorst Ar-66
 Araneae - Segestriidae
Ariadna defuncta n. sp.11 Wunderlich 2004 tube-dwelling spider
Grabenhorst
 Araneae - Leptonetidae
Eoleptoneta curvata11 Wunderlich 2004 leptonetid spider
Grabenhorst AR-66
 Acariformes - Smarididae
Fessonia grabenhorsti n. sp.1 Bartel et al. 2015 mite
Grabenhorst 208/HG, 9/HG, 40/HG, 41/HG, 116/HG
Fessonia wunderlichi1 Bartel et al. 2015 mite
Grabenhorst 37/HG, 194/HG