The Protorthoptera are an extinct order of

Palaeozoic The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma at the start of ...

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 purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by e ...

and

paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...

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 more basa ...

. They appear during the Middle

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a Geologic time scale, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the ...

(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 ...

or early

Bashkirian The Bashkirian is in the International Commission on Stratigraphy geologic timescale the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage or oldest age (geology), age of the Pennsylvanian (geology), Pennsylvanian. The Bashkirian age lasted from to Mega annu ...

), 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

Protorthopteraorder †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 ''laserwort'' or ''laser''; Ancient Greek: , ) is an unidentified plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine. It was an essential item of trade from the ancient North Af ...

'' * † 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 Stygne (Ancient Greek: Στύγνη means "hated, abhorred"), in Greek mythology, was one of the Danaïdes, daughter of Danaus and Polyxo. She married (and murdered) Polyctor, son of Aegyptus and Caliadne.Apollodorus2.1.5/ref> Note References ...

'' * † Thoronysididae ** †'' Thoronysis'' * †''

Incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), 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, uncertainty ...

'' ** †'' 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,'' published from 1953–2007 by the Geological Society of America and the University of Kansas, then 2009–present by the University of Kansas Paleontological Institute, is a definitive multi-authore ...

'', Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q999198 Carboniferous insects Extinct insect orders Taxa named by Anton Handlirsch Paraphyletic groups Polyneoptera