90 PALEONTOLOGY 



of Kansas, and possibly by some wing fragments from the Upper 

 Permian of Russia. Protodonata likewise were on the decline, 

 and among their last representatives are Calvertiella Till, and 

 Megatypus Till, from the Kansas beds. 



Trias. Recent discoveries among Australian rocks of Triassic 

 age have revealed a rich insect fauna. In the Ipswich beds of 

 New South Wales Hemiptera show a greater development and 

 specialisation as compared with the previous epoch. In the family 

 Dunstaniidse Pentatomid affinities appear to be present, while the 

 Triassocoridse are possibly ancestral to the Notonectidse and 

 related aquatic forms. Homoptera were a dominant group and 

 were represented by a great variety of forms, including the large 

 Mesogereonida?, which were evidently ancestors of the Cicadidae, 

 numerous Fulgoroid^c and some early Jassidse. It is noteworthy 

 that in the discovery of Mesotitan Till, from these same beds 

 we have the second known genus of Protohemiptera. Among 

 Mecoptera, the sub-order Protomecoptera is represented by 

 Archipanorpa in a remarkably perfect condition of preservation, 

 while Aristopsyche and its allies, which were regarded by Tillyard 

 as forming a separate order (Paratrichoptera), also occur in the 

 Ipswich beds. Neuroptera of this age include the family 

 Prohemerobiidse, together with Triassopsy chops, which is a 

 forerunner of the existing Psychopsidae ; in the Trias of Europe 

 are found some remains of alder-flies. Among dragon-flies are 

 the genera T Has sole stes, a true Zygopteron ; and Triassagrion, a 

 member of the sub-order Archizygoptera which became extinct 

 in Liassic times. True Coleoptera were also abundant in the 

 form of elytra and include already specialised types, some of 

 which have been referred to the families Chrysomelida^ and 

 Curculionidai. It is also noteworthy that the Carboniferous 

 order Protorthoptera extends into the Trias, and some of the 

 Triassic Blattidae differ remarkably little from those present 

 during the Palaeozoic era. Accompanying these primitive 

 Orthopteroid types were true Acridiidae and forms related to the 

 Mantidae and Tettigoniidac. 



Jurassic. The Jurassic period is notable from the fact that 

 all the main orders of insects, with the exception of the 



