Search

Palaeodictyopterida is remarkable insect superorder, which formed a significant part of the diversity of upper Palaeozoic insects, but disappeared by the end of the Permian. The main synapomorphy of the superorder is the piercing-sucking mouthparts in the form of a rostrum consisting of five styles. This rostrum was probably used to pierce on plant tissue and for the juice sucking. The same type of mouthparts shared by adults was present also in larvae of Palaeodictyopterida. The external copulatory organs of the superorder members was also showed some morphological interests. The male genitalia consist of a pair of gonostyli and two penial lobes, similarly to the genitalia of recent Ephemeroptera. The female genitalia of Palaeodictyopterida are developed in a form of the ovipositor that can be compared with the endophytic ovipositor of some recent Odonata. This morphological features support placement of Palaeodictyopterida as sister group of Odonatoptera + Panephemeroptera. The main aim of the work was to describe new representatives of the order Megasecoptera, the second largest group of Palaeodictyopterida. Wing venation of Megasecoptera exhibits a reduction of the longitudinal and transverse veins in comparison with the order Palaeodictyoptera. Other body structures were examined mainly in the...

Insecta is the most diversified animal group, which comprises more than a half of eukaryotic species. Its massive adaptive radiation is most frequently attributed to an origin of insect's wings and flapping flight. Due to lack of transitional forms in fossil record it is impossible to study directly these procedures but only in a theoretical approach only. In this thesis the origin of insect wings is considered in two ways - in evolutionary way, when the points of interest are selection pressures and evolutionary advantages for insects with proto-wings, and a morphological way, when objects of study are structures that preceded wings and developmental modules allowing this event. The present thesis contains review of relevant published hypothesis dealing with evolutionary and morphological origin of insect wings.