Megasecoptera

Reconstruction of Sylvohymen sibiricus by A. G. Ponomarenko, from Sinitshenkova (2002).

Belongs within: Pterygota.

The Megasecoptera is a group of plant-sucking insects with elongate, petiolate wings known from the Middle Carboniferous to Late Permian (Sinitshenkova 2002).

Characters (from Sinitshenkova 2002): Size medium to large (wing length 10-100 mm). Body slender (more robust in Eubleptoptera). Head small, prognathous, with large convex eyes and long sucking beak. Antenna about as long as body. Thoracic segments of similar size, pronotal paranota large in Eubleptoptera, reduced to several thorn-like projections or lost in others. Wings spread permanently, fore and hind wings alike, long, often petiolate, with fore margin straight (relatively short and wide in small, dipterous Permothemistidae). Cross-veins not numerous, often forming regular rows, RS and MA bases connected by stabilised cross-vein and usually angular there (unless cross-vein replaced by temporal fusion of both RS and MA for a distance, or cross-vein slanted and thus forming false base of either). Fore leg short, middle and hind legs poorly known. Thorax and abdomen sometimes with cuticular projections, long or short, simple or branched, and arranged in regular rows. Male genitalia with 2-3-segmented claspers, male cercus (where known) sinuate basally. Ovipositor (where known) short, wide. Nymph (where known) similar to adult but with beak short, wing pads bent backward when large, pterothoracic segments with lateral spines near wing pad base, abdominal terga with hind margin denticulate. Imaginal moults not proven.

<==Megasecoptera [Mischopterida]
    |  i. s.: Pseudohymen GE05
    |--Eubleptoptera [Eubleptidodea, Eubleptina, Eubleptoidea] GE05
    |    |--Anchineuridae GE05
    |    |--Engisopteridae GE05
    |    |--Sphecorydaloididae GE05
    |    |--Eubleptus S02 [Eubleptidae GE05]
    |    |    `--E. danielsi S02
    |    `--Namurodiapha S02 [Namurodiaphidae GE05]
    |         `--N. sippelorum S02
    `--+--Dicliptera [Archodonata, Permothemistida, Permothemistina] GE05
       |    |  i. s.: Permothemidia caudata D70
       |    |--Ogassidae S02
       |    |--Diathema S02 [Diathemidae GE05, Diathemoptera]
       |    |    `--D. tenerum S02
       |    |--Doter D70 [Doteridae S02]
       |    |    `--D. minor D70
       |    |--Rectineura D70 [Rectineuridae S02]
       |    |    `--R. lineata D70
       |    |--Kansasia S02 [Kansasiidae GE05]
       |    |    `--K. pulchra S02
       |    `--Permothemistidae S02
       |         |--Permothemis S02
       |         `--Ideliella S02
       |--Protohymenoptera [Aspidothoracina] GE05
       |    |--Aspidothoracidae GE05
       |    |--Aspidohymenidae GE05
       |    |--Brodiidae GE05
       |    |--Brodiopteridae GE05
       |    |--Protohymenidae GE05
       |    |--Caulopteridae GE05
       |    |--Karoohymen S02 [Scytohymenidae GE05]
       |    |    `--K. delicatulus S02
       |    |--Ancoptera S02 [Ancopteridae GE05]
       |    |    `--A. permiana S02
       |    |--Hana S02 [Hanidae GE05]
       |    |    `--H. filia S02
       |    `--Sylvohymen S02 [Bardohymenidae GE05]
       |         |--S. peckae S02
       |         |--S. robustus S02
       |         `--S. sibiricus S02
       `--Eumegasecoptera [Mischopterina] GE05
            |--Allectoneuridae S02
            |--Moravohymenidae GE05
            |--Carbonopteridae GE05
            |--Corydaloididae GE05
            |--Foririidae S02
            |--Sphecopteridae GE05
            |--Ichnoptilidae S02
            |--Raphidiopseidae S02
            |--Parabrodiidae S02
            |--Aykhal [Aykhalidae] S02
            |    `--A. helenae S02
            |--Vorkutia S02 [Vorkutiidae GE05]
            |    `--V. dimina S02
            `--Mischoptera [Mischopteridae] GE05
                 |--M. douglassi S02
                 `--M. nigra GE05

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[D70] Demoulin, G. 1970. Remarques critiques sur des larves «ephemeromorphes» du Permien. Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 46 (3): 1-10.

[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.

[S02] Sinitshenkova, N. D. 2002. Superorder Dictyoneuridea Handlirsch, 1906 (=Palaeodictyopteroidea). In History of Insects (A. P. Rasnitsyn & D. L. J. Quicke, eds) pp. 115-124. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht.