PERMIAN 89 



Hemiptera-Homoptera , and among the latter the family 

 Scytinopteridse was dominant. The earliest true Plecoptera 

 make their appearance at this period. They are represented by 

 StenoperUdiuin (Tillyard, 1935a), a member of the existing family 

 Eustheniidse. The Paramecoptera, possible ancestors of both 

 the Trichoptera and Lepidoptera, make their appearance, and 

 along with them are the earliest known fossil Coleoptera. The 

 latter consist of two families, the Permophilidse and Permosynidae. 

 Of these, the first mentioned appear to be the direct ancestors of 

 the existing Hydrophilidae, while the Permosynidje evidently lead 

 on to genera existing in the Upper Triassic rocks. Remains of 

 what appear to be even more generalised Coleopteroid types occur 

 in the same strata as these ancient beetles, and they are regarded 

 by Tillyard as forming his order Protocoleoptera. Neuroptera 

 also occur during the Upper Permian age and are represented by 

 four genera forming the family Permithonidse. 



From Russia Martynov (1928a) has described some early 

 examples of the Megaloptera in his genus Permosialis : althougli 

 related to living Sialidae its more specialised features have led 

 him to place it in a separate family — the Permosialidse. The 

 Planipennia are represented by the new family Palseomerobiidae 

 which appears to be allied to, but more j^rimitive than, the 

 Australian Permithonidae. Homoptera were apparently a 

 dominant group and the early families Prosbolida? and 

 Scytinopteridae were well rej^resented. Remains of what appear 

 to be May-flies allied to Protereisma, Mecoptera and Psocoptera 

 are also recorded, together with a number of forms which are 

 referred to his order Miomoptera (see p. 80). 



All the ancient Carboniferous orders extended into Permian 

 times. Protorthoptera and Blattidae were abundant, but the 

 Megaseco2:)tera, although common in^the early Permian, appeared 

 to have died out at the end of this period : the genus Kuloja 

 Mart., from the Upper Permian of North Russia, appears to 

 be the last-known survivor, but the remains of this fossil are 

 too scanty for ascertaining their affinities with certainty. 

 Palaiodictyoptera, already much on the decline, are represented 

 by Dunharia Till, and Permoneura Carp, in the Lower Permian 



