
Gaëlle Doitteau & Sandra DAILLIE · Original image & credits · CC BY 4.0
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Meganeura
Meet meganeura—one more extraordinary life to discover.
Discover the expedition atlasA reference overview
Meganeura (Ancient Greek: μέγα (large) + νευρόν (vein or nerve)) is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (about 300 million years ago). It is a member of the extinct order Meganisoptera (also known as griffenflies), which resemble dragonflies and damselflies (with dragonflies, damselflies, and meganisopterans being part of the broader group Odonatoptera). While various species of Meganeura have been named, only one is now considered valid, the type species, M. monyi.
Overview excerpt from Wikipedia contributors · Meganeura, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Excerpt may be shortened. Overview retrieved 2026-10-09.