Meganeura (name meaning "Large-Nerved"), also called the Giant Dragonfly, is a genus of very large dragonfly that originated during the Carboniferous Era in what is now North America and Europe. The size of an eagle, Meganeura is the world's largest dragonfly, described as the "rulers of the Carboniferous skies".
Thought to have been extinct for 300 million years, there are still some that remain alive on Primeval Island.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Meganeura lived in North America and Europe during the Carboniferous period, 350 – 280 million years ago, ruling the skies of the Carboniferous and sharing the environment with reptiles, giant amphibians, and other giant insects. They died out when the oxygen level went down by the end of the Carboniferous.
Discovery & Range []
Meganeura was first discovered in by Charles Brongniart in 1880 in France. Meganeura lived in places in what is now North America and Europe.
Physical Description[]
Meganeura was physiologically very similar to a modern dragonfly, but larger. Measuring almost a meter long, Meganeura was the size of an eagle, making it one of the largest insects that ever lived and the largest dragonfly of all time. High above their Carboniferous kingdom, normally they were invincible.
Behavior & Traits[]
Meganeura was a very fast aerial predator, using its arms and mandibles to shred prey, typically other insects, or perhaps smaller vertebrates such as lizards or amphibians. It was extremely acrobatic, capable of making sudden mid-air turns, and dodging streams of water. When it came to males having a fight, they could stop immediately and spin around on a sixpence.
In groups, Meganeura gathered around fragmented lakes to breed and lay their larvae in the water. Males competed for mating rights with females, but could not determine and individual's sex without getting very close. Like modern dragonflies, Meganeura could achieve speeds that a human would be unable to resist. When it comes to mating, and if they found a female, the males grabbed hold with claspers at the front and the mating would start.