Meganeura

Meganeura

• Commentry, France

The giant dragonfly Meganeura monyi was found in the stephani between coal beds of Commentry, Allier in France in the 1880s. They lived about 300 million years ago during the Upper Carboniferous and was described in 1885 by the French paleontologist Adolphe Brongniart. Today, the instance of this type is preserved in the Muséum national d' histoire naturelle in Paris. She was one with a wingspan of up to 70 cm of the largest insects that ever lived.

Another giant dragonfly Meganeuropsis permiana even reached a wingspan of 72 cm. The largest found on German territory riesenflüglige Urlibelle was Stephanotypus schneideri from the Stefanium of roach in hall with a wingspan of 45 cm ( Zessin, 1983).

Both are representative of the extinct Proto Donata.