Johanne Beringer was one of the early scientists who tried to systematically study fossils. The problem was that he published a book in 1726 on spectacular “fossils” that in reality were carved by some very obnoxious students of his. The point here is that so little was known at the time about fossils in general and more specifically the fossilization process that he could be taken in by such a hoax. This is one of the original “fossils.” I have heard that several of these survived in the Science Museum in London, but this is the first I have ever seen personally; size is about 25 cm across, so that is a pretty large fly, which should have given Beringer an inkling.