A study aiming at the description of invertebrate fauna trapped in contemporary, coniferous resins was undertaken in a mixed forest of Central Europe (Southern Poland). Resins were collected predominately from spruce (Picea abies), but also from pine (Pinus sylvestris) and larch (Larix decidua), the cadavers were extracted from the ethanol solution of resin. As many as 394 specimens were extracted, consisting mainly of insects, but also arachnids, crustaceans and single mollusc were found. Among the collected specimens, some were identified to species, and a few mutual, ecological interrelationships could be traced. Although the amount of collected resins is far from being comparable with the amount of particular types of amber studied in the world so far, the Discussion focuses on similarities and differences in insect inclusions composition in resins and known amber collections.
Combined analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial markers provide new insight into the genetic structure of North European Picea abies
