Description
A great Dragonfly on limestone fossil from the famous Solnhofen Limestone, Bavaria, Germany. This specimen measures 89 mm (3-1/2″) from wing tip to wing tip and 60 mm (2-3/8″) long. It is on a 160mm (6-3/8″) by 140 mm (5-1/2″) limestone matrix.
True dragonflies (Order Odonata) first appeared during the Jurassic, though similar insects commonly referred to as dragonflies date back to the Carboniferous. While most early dragonflies were not a lot bigger modern ones, members of the Order Meganisoptera got huge with wingspans reaching nearly 2 1/2 feet. The Solnhofen limestone in Germany is the most famous locality for fossil dragonflies, but they are also commonly found in the Crato Formation of Brazil and in China.
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