''Miraspis mira'' is a spinose species of odontopleurid trilobite in the family

Odontopleuridae Odontopleuridae is a family of odontopleurid trilobites found in marine strata throughout the world. Odontopleurids of Odontopleuridae first appear in Late Cambrian-aged marine strata, and the last genera perish by the end of the Frasnian stage ...

. Fossils of ''M. mira'' are known from the Wenlock-aged Liteň Formation in Loděnice, in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

, Czech Republic, originally described by

Joachim Barrande Joachim Barrande (11 August 1799 – 5 October 1883) was a French geologist and palaeontologist. He was particularly known for his work on trilobites, published in the ''Systéme Silurien de la Bohéme'' which he published in 22 parts. Trained und ...

, in 1846, as "''Odontopleura mira.''" In 1917, Richter and Richter split "''O. mira''" off into its own genus, ''Miraspis''. The spines of ''M. mira'' are either smooth, or are fringed with smaller spines. ''M. mira'' is notable among odontopleurids in that the living animals had compound eyes set upon tall eyestalks (these eyestalks are often broken off in many, if not most specimens). ''M. mira'' also coexisted with its close relative, '' Odontopleura ovalis''.

References

Odontopleuridae Odontopleurida genera Silurian trilobites of Europe {{odontopleurida-stub