Insecta - Meganisoptera - Meganeuridae
Meganeuropsis permiana is the largest insect known, slightly bigger than the closely-related Meganeura, with an estimated length of 33 cm for a single wing (although the fossil itself is only a 14-cm long fragment). Although Meganeuropsis is sometimes called a "giant dragonfly," it is not a true dragonfly - it actually belongs to the extinct order Meganisoptera (formerly known as Protodonata and sometimes called "griffenflies"). Meganeuropsis americana, probably actually the same species, was slightly smaller but is known from a 28 cm-long fragment, the largest complete wing fragment known.
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Full reference: F. M. Carpenter. 1939. The Lower Permian Insects of Kansas. Part 8: Additional Megasecoptera, Protodonata, Odonata, Homoptera, Psocoptera, Protelytroptera, Plectoptera and Protoperlaria. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 73(3):29-70
Belongs to Meganeuropsis according to C. Brauckmann and W. Zessin 1989
See also Carpenter 1939
Sister taxon: Meganeuropsis americana
Type specimen: MCZ 4024, a forewing (proximal fragment). Its type locality is Elmo, MCZ 1935 collection Upper Limestone, which is in an Artinskian pond limestone in the Wellington Formation of Kansas.
Ecology:
Distribution: found only at Elmo, MCZ 1935 collection Upper Limestone
Specimen images are retrieved through the ePANDDA API.
Click image to enlarge. Click to access iDigBio record.