Thank God This Insect is Extinct

The Meganeura looks like a dragonfly only it is, or was, enormous.  Its wingspan was as long as seventy five centimeters.  And back in prehistoric times this insect was likely so large that it was likely the maximum size allowable by the environment at its time.

Today the oxygen level in the atmosphere is twenty one percent of all gases.  But back in Meganeura’s days this oxygen level was much higher, clocking in at thirty five percent.  This higher oxygen level made it so much larger species of insects could exist in the environment.  The higher the oxygen level the greater the size of internal tissues in prehistoric animals.  This is why long extinct animals were known to be much larger than they are today.

The Meganeura was so large that its menu was not limited to other insects, but, quite likely, large amphibeans as well.  This huge bug likely behaved much like modern dragonflies with the exception of having more food options.  We can all be thankful that this terrifying creature has been erased from nature.

Do you know about any other extinct terrifying insects? Which one scares you the most?