Gigatitan

Gigatitan is an extinct genus of titanopteran insect that lived in Kyrgyzstan during the Triassic period. The type species is G. vulgaris, described by Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov in 1968. Fossils of "Gigatitan" have been found in the Madygen Formation. In life, "Gigatitan" was a mantis-like predator with a wingspan of approximately . Its forelimbs were similarly enlarged and bore spines for prey capture. The ovipositor of "Gigatitan" bore sharp cutting ridges. These were likely used to excise holes in plant matter for oviposition, similar to some modern Orthoptera. It is the type genus of the family Gigatitanidae, in which the closely related "Nanotitan" and "Ootitan" are also included.