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The largest known insect of all time was a predator resembling a dragonfly but was only distantly related to them. Its name is Meganeuropsis, and it ruled the skies before pterosaurs, birds and bats had even evolved.
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). It is a member of the extinct order Meganisoptera, which are closely related to and resemble dragonflies and damselflies (with dragonflies, damselflies and meganisopterans being part of the broader group Odonatoptera).
Meganeura, the giant dragonflies of prehistoric times, were some of the largest insects to ever roam the Earth. These fascinating creatures lived during the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago, and were known for their impressive size and elongated body shape.
The giant dragonflies were abundant for nearly 70 million years from the Late Carboniferous to the Late Permian (approximately 317 to 247 million years ago.) They were predatory, preying mainly on other insects, and likely hunted in a similar way to modern-day dragonflies.
The largest insects to have ever lived were the giant meganeurids of the Late Palaeozoic, ancient stem relatives of our modern dragonflies.
The giant darner (anax walsinghami) is the largest dragonfly in the world with a length of 5 inches and a wingspan the same. They are easily identifiable by the large blue spots on their bodies, green head, and clear wings.
A massive dragonfly from the late Permian era named 'Meganeuropsis permiana' holds the record as the largest insect ever. It was the size of an eagle.
Petalura ingentissima, the giant petaltail, has been described as the world's largest dragonfly, with a wingspan of 160 mm. [3] It is found in Queensland, Australia. [4] Dr R.J. Tillyard described the giant petaltail in 1908. [2]
This unique specimen in the world is a giant dragonfly that lived 300 million years ago in the huge equatorial warm forests that at the time covered the center of France.
Meganeura monyi was the largest early dragonfly known to exist. This species was a predator that would have eaten other insects, with spines on its legs to trap and capture its prey. They probably also had large, sharp mandibles for slicing and chewing their prey.