Gigamachilis
| Gigamachilis Temporal range: Late Ladinian,
| |
|---|---|
| Type specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Archaeognatha |
| Family: | Machilidae |
| Genus: | †Gigamachilis Montagna, Haug, Strada, Haug, Felber & Tintori, 2017 |
| Species: | †G. triassicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Gigamachilis triassicus Montagna, Haug, Strada, Haug, Felber & Tintori, 2017
| |
Gigamachilis is an extinct genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. The genus consists of a single species, Gigamachilis triassicus. The species is the largest archaeognath that ever existed.
The species was described by Matteo Montagna, Joachim T Haug, Laura Strada, Carolin Haug, Markus Felber and Andrea Tintori.
Gigamachilis triassicus has an estimated total length of approximately 80 millimetres, representing the largest apterygote insect ever recorded.
The fossil was found in the Meride Formation of Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland in Middle Triassic (Ladinian)-aged strata. The holotype preserved four abdominal ganglia, optic lobes with neuropils and compound retina and muscular bundles.