Exhibition hall: The History of the Earth and Life Meganeura: the Largest Insect that Ever Lived Display Location: The History of the Earth and Life This dragonfly is in the order Protodonata, which went extinct at the end of the Paleozoic Era. With a wingspan of seventy centimeters, it is the largest insect yet discovered. In recent years, fossilized specimens with well-preserved abdomens have been found that clearly show several appendages on the end of the abdomen. This is a life-size model based on the new information.