The Protorthoptera are an extinct order of
Palaeozoic insects, and represent a
wastebasket taxon
Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...
and
paraphyletic assemblage of
basal neoptera
Neoptera (Ancient Greek ''néos'' (“new”) + ''pterón'' (“wing”)) is a classification group that includes most orders of the winged insects, specifically those that can flex their wings over their abdomens. This is in contrast with the mo ...
. They appear during the Middle
Carboniferous (late
Serpukhovian
The Serpukhovian is in the ICS geologic timescale the uppermost stage or youngest age of the Mississippian, the lower subsystem of the Carboniferous. The Serpukhovian age lasted from Ma to Ma. It is preceded by the Visean and is followed b ...
or early
Bashkirian), making them among the earliest known winged insects in the fossil record.
Pronotal lobes may be expanded to form a shield. The group includes the ancestors of all other
polyneopterous insects.
Families and genera
Protorthoptera
order †Protorthoptera
Species File (Version 5.0/5.0; retrieved 20 October 2021)
* † Adeloneuridae
** †'' Adeloneura''
* † Anthracoptilidae
** †'' Anthracoptilus''
* † Anthracothremmidae
** †'' Anthracothremma''
** †'' Melinophlebia''
** †'' Pericalyphe''
** †''Silphion
Silphium (also known as ''silphion'', ''laserwort'', or ''laser'') is an unidentified plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine. It also was used as a contraceptive by ancient Greeks and Romans ...
''
* † Apithanidae
** †'' Apithanus''
* † Asyncritidae
** †'' Asyncritus''
* † Blattinopsidae (synonym Oryctoblattinidae )
** †'' Blattinopsis''
** †'' Glaphyrokoris''
** †'' Glaphyrophlebia''
** †'' Protoblattiniella''
* † Cheliphlebidae
** †'' Cheliphlebia''
* † Cymbopsidae
** †'' Cymbopsis''
* † Epimastacidae
* † Eucaenidae (synonym Teneopteridae)
** †'' Eucaenus''
* † Hadentomidae (synonym Hadentomoidea )
** †'' Fabreciella''
** †'' Fayoliella''
** †'' Hadentomum''
** †'' Palaeocixius''
* † Hapalopteridae (synonym Aenigmatodidae & Hapalopteroidea )
** †'' Aenigmatodes''
** †'' Hapaloptera''
* † Heteroptilidae
** †'' Heteroptilon''
* † Homalophlebiidae
** †'' Homalophlebia''
** †'' Parahomalophlebia''
* † Homoeodictyidae
** †'' Homoeodictyon''
* † Pachytylopsidae
** †'' Pachytylopsis''
** †'' Protopachytylopsis''
** †'' Symballophlebia''
* † Stenoneuridae
** †'' Eoblattina''
** †'' Stenoneura''
* † Stereopteridae
** †'' Stereopterum''
* † Strephocladidae
** †'' Homocladus''
** †'' Paracladus''
** †'' Strephocladus''
* † Stygnidae
** †'' Stygne''
* † Thoronysididae
** †'' Thoronysis''
* †''Incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
''
** †'' Acridites''
** †'' Adiphlebia''
** †'' Agogoblattina''
** †'' Anthrakoris''
** †'' Archaeologus''
** †'' Archimastax''
** †'' Atava''
** †'' Axiologus''
** †'' Chrestotes''
** †'' Commentrya''
** †'' Didymophleps''
** †'' Endoiasmus''
** †'' Geraroides''
** †'' Gyrophlebia''
** †'' Hemerista''
** †'' Lecopterum''
** †'' Megalometer''
** †'' Metacheliphlebia''
** †'' Miamia''
** †'' Polyetes''
** †'' Pruvostia''
** †'' Pseudogerarus''
** †'' Pseudopolyernus''
** †'' Ptenodera''
** †'' Schuchertiella''
References
* Carpenter, F. M. 1992. Superclass Hexapoda. Volume 3 of Part R, Arthropoda 4; ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology
The ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology'' (or ''TIP'') published by the Geological Society of America and the University of Kansas Press, is a definitive multi-authored work of some 50 volumes, written by more than 300 paleontologists, and co ...
'', Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America.
*
Carboniferous insects
Extinct insect orders
Taxa named by Anton Handlirsch
Paraphyletic groups
Polyneoptera
{{Carboniferous-animal-stub