Beverly the Bug

Beverly the Bug is the first and only known opal with an insect inclusion. It contains "the exoskeleton of a nymphal insect belonging to the order Hemiptera and either the family Tettigarctidae or the Cicadidae".[1]

It was found on Java in 2015.[2] Gemologist Brian T. Berger purchased the gem in 2018 and named it Beverly the Bug.[3] He submitted it to the Gemological Institute of America, which authenticated it as an "unaltered, untampered precious opal, with a genuine insect inclusion."[4][5]

Though such inclusions are relatively common in amber, some opal-enclosed fossils have been discovered before[2][6] among silica-containing rocks near geysers, but this is the first that appears to have been formed via the erosion of volcanic rocks.[3] This raises the possibility that, if there was life on Mars (which had volcanic activity in its past), it too might be preserved the same way.[1][3]

It has been displayed in the Perot Museum in Dallas, the Tellus Museum in Atlanta, and the Alfie Norville Museum in Arizona.

References
  1. Chauviré, Boris; Houadria, Mickal; Donini, Aline; Berger, Brian T.; Rondeau, Benjamin; Kritsky, Gene; Lhuissier, Pierre (June 29, 2020). "Arthropod entombment in weathering-formed opal: new horizons for recording life in rocks". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 10575. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1010575C. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67412-9. PMC 7324577. PMID 32601331.
  2. "Strange fossil may be rare insect preserved in gemstone". National Geographic. January 31, 2019. ... Jenni Brammall, an expert on opal and opalized fossils at the Australian Opal Centre
  3. "Rare Fossil Reveals Cicada Entombed in Opal - Scientific American". Scientific American.
  4. Solly, Meilan. "Gemologist Finds Insect Entombed in Opal Rather Than Amber". Smithsonian Magazine.
  5. Starr, Michelle. "This Ancient Dead Bug Could Change What We Know About Opal Formation". ScienceAlert.
  6. Pickrell, John (December 4, 2018). "Exclusive: Sparkly, opal-filled fossils reveal new dinosaur species". National Geographic.
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