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Extinct: Prehistoric Insects

Discover strange facts about prehistoric insects: Meganeura's 70 cm wingspan, Pulmonoscorpius' giant scorpions, and the oxygen-fueled bugs of the...

5 articles
Prehistoric Insects: Giants of the Past
Prehistoric Insects

Prehistoric Insects: Giants of the Past

Expert-written guide to prehistoric insects covering Meganeura, Arthropleura, giant cockroaches, and griffinflies. Explore the oxygen-gigantism hypothesis, Carboniferous period insect giants, amber preservation, and what ancient insects reveal about modern biodiversity loss.

Feb 26, 2026 16 min read
Meganeura: The Giant Carboniferous Insect
Prehistoric Insects

Meganeura: The Giant Carboniferous Insect

Everything about Meganeura: the 71-centimetre Carboniferous griffinfly that patrolled coal-swamp skies 300 million years ago, its oxygen-fueled gigantism, anatomy, prey, and extinction.

Jul 19, 2025 13 min read
Meganeuropsis: The Largest Insect in History
Prehistoric Insects

Meganeuropsis: The Largest Insect in History

Everything about Meganeuropsis permiana: the 75-centimetre Early Permian griffinfly from Kansas, the largest insect ever known, its oxygen-fueled gigantism, anatomy, prey, and extinction before the dinosaurs.

May 22, 2025 15 min read
Arthropleura: The Largest Millipede Ever
Prehistoric Insects

Arthropleura: The Largest Millipede Ever

Everything about Arthropleura: the 2.6-metre Carboniferous millipede that was the largest land invertebrate ever, its anatomy, diet debate, oxygen-driven gigantism, and its extinction in the early Permian.

Mar 23, 2025 17 min read
Pulmonoscorpius: The Giant Scorpion
Prehistoric Insects

Pulmonoscorpius: The Giant Scorpion

Everything about Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis: the 70-centimetre Carboniferous scorpion from East Kirkton, Scotland, its book-lung breathing, oxygen-driven gigantism, terrestrial lifestyle, and extinction in the early Permian.

Jan 22, 2025 20 min read