Giant Prehistoric Insects Found by Miners in Derbyshire

In 1979, miners at Bolsover Colliery in Derbyshire unearthed two fossilised remains of giant prehistoric insects, griffinflies, from the Carboniferous period. The insects, which lived between 359 and 299 million years ago, were discovered 500m (1,640ft) below the surface.

The two specimens, arctotypus diluculum and whalleyala bolsoveri, are the only known examples of their species and are now housed at London's Natural History Museum. The Natural History Museum said the specimens are irreplaceable and are not currently exhibited in the public galleries.

Local historian and archaeologist Dr Simon Elliott said the environment in Bolsover was wet and swampy during the Carboniferous period, which was conducive to the growth of these insects. The Natural History Museum said griffinflies were ferocious hunters that would eat anything and everything they could find.

The fossils were found 500m underground because miners had to dig through Permian magnesium limestone to reach the older coal seams below. The area became a key coal mining site because of vast forests of bark-bearing trees that grew during the Carboniferous period and later formed large coal deposits.

A sculpture of the Bolsover Dragonfly is being unveiled on a roundabout in the town on Monday to celebrate the discovery. The sculpture was made by school students in the area who took part in a 20-week programme to learn metal cutting, design, and welding.