Meganeura (Giant Dragonfly)

A dragonfly with a wingspan wider than a red-tailed hawk/Dinosaurs & Extinct Animals

Meganeura monyi was a giant insect from the Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago, with a wingspan of roughly 70 cm. It is one of the largest known insects ever. Its size was possible because atmospheric oxygen levels during the Carboniferous reached about 35%, compared to today's 21%, allowing the insect tracheal breathing system to support a much larger body. Meganeura was a predator that hunted other insects and small amphibians through dense Carboniferous forests.