Diaphanopterodea

The Diaphanopterodea or Paramegasecoptera are an extinct order of moderate to large-sized Palaeozoic insects. They are first known from the Middle Carboniferous (late Serpukhovian or early Bashkirian in age), and include some of the earliest known flying insects.

Diaphanopterodea Temporal range:
Prochoroptera calopteryx
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Superorder:	†Palaeodictyopteroidea
Order:	†Diaphanopterodea Handlirsch, 1919
Families
Aenigmatidiidae Rohdendorf, 1961 Alexrasnitsyniidae Prokop & Nel, 2011 Asthenohymenidae Tillyard, 1924 Bardohymenidae Zalessky, 1937 Biarmohymenidae Zalessky, 1937 Diaphanopteridae Handlirsch, 1906 Elmoidae Tillyard, 1937 Martynoviidae Tillyard, 1932 Namurodiaphidae Kukalova-Peck & Brauckmann, 1990 Parelmoidae Rohdendorf, 1962 Prochoropteridae Handlirsch, 1911 Velisopteridae Pinto & Adami-Rodrigues, 1997

Overview

Despite their very early appearance in the insect fossil record, they represent a specialised group of Palaeodictyopteroidea (Palaeozoic beaked insects), unique among representatives of that group in having evolved the ability to fold their wings over their thorax and abdomen in a manner similar to, but not homologous with, the Neopteran insects. The nymphs also had an unusual appearance, being covered in numerous hairlike filaments.

Diaphanopterodea are distinguished by a number of other characteristics, and are generally considered to be a monophyletic group. About ten families are known. The group died out at the end of the Permian period, victims of the End-Permian mass-extinction, without leaving any descendants.

References

• Carpenter, F. M. 1992. Superclass Hexapoda. Volume 3 of Part R, Arthropoda 4; Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America.
• Grimaldi, David & Engel, Michael S. (2005-05-16). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82149-5.

External links

• Diaphanopterodea at the Tree of Life project (list of taxa)