Paleo files- Meganeura

Common name: Giant griffinfly
Scientific name: Meganerua myoni
Year named: 1885, by Charles Brongniart
Meaning: 'Big nerved'
Length: Nymph 12", adult 17"
Wingspan: 2.5'/25-29"/75 cm
Time: Late Carboniferous, 360/311-282/305-299 mya
Range: Nove Scotia?, Scotland, Western Europe. Specifically Commentry in France and Bolsover in Derbyshire, England
Biome: Humid swamp
Frequency: Very common
Organization: Solitary
Diet: Nymph- small fish, tadpoles, etc; Adult- other insects, spiders, small amphibians
Neighbors: Aphthoroblattina?, Archaeothyris florensis, Archimylacris?, Arthropleura armata, Eogyrinus attheyi, Phlegethontia longissima
Enemies: Larger amphibians
Danger Level: Low

They are active from dawn to dusk and aren't very social, either living alone or sharing a small pond with several others. They have a neat way of catching prey, they form a basket with their legs and use it as a "net" to catch smaller insects. The nymphs are equally carnivorous eating small fish, tadpoles, and any other suitable prey. With adults being the size of a small hawk and nymphs the size of a human hand, there is no doubt that this dragonfly is the top insect predator of the swamp.

Males and females are dark blue with green stripes on their abdomen and a lighter blue back. Their huge eyes are dark red and their wings are a transparent turquoise. Nymphs are dull brown with black eyes, they stay underwater for the first few months of their lives using their slingshot-like jaws to lunge out and grab prey, then they crawl out of the water and molt. Revealing their adult form then taking to the skies to restart the life cycle again.

While Meganeura are the top predators they are also prey for many animals like large fish, amphibians, and lizards. Meganeura can even sometimes be cannibalistic.

There is also a less common color morph of Meganeura that lives in the middle of the Western Swampland and the Eastern Forests, this race is bright reddish-orange with green eyes, and yellow wings. It is more aggressive and smaller than it's blue counterpart and therefore will attack any other Meganeura that comes into it's territory.