Meganisoptera facts for kids

Meganeura

The Meganisoptera were a group of ancient, giant dragonflies that lived a very long time ago. They were around during the Paleozoic era, specifically from the late Carboniferous period (called the Pennsylvanian epoch) to the end of the Permian period. People used to call this group Protodonata.

Giant Dragonflies of the Past

These amazing insects were much larger than any dragonflies we see today. The biggest one known was called Meganeuropsis. It lived in the early Permian period and had a huge wingspan of 28 inches (about 71 centimeters)! That's almost as long as your arm. While not all Meganisoptera were this enormous, they were all bigger than modern dragonflies.

Where Do They Fit? (Classification)

Scientists group living things into different categories. The Meganisoptera belong to a larger group called Odonaptera. This superorder includes both the extinct Meganisoptera and the modern Odonata, which are the dragonflies and damselflies we see today.

• Superorder Odonaptera
  • Order Meganisoptera (These are the giant ancient dragonflies)
  • Order Odonata (These are modern dragonflies and damselflies)

Images for kids

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  Model of a meganisopteran.