332 
Psyche 
[June 
Fig. 22. Paradiapha delicatula n.sp., specimen 16/1974. Fore wing and 
hind wing, hind leg. 
With the subcostoanal basal plate of advanced Palaeodictyoptera 
(Kukalova, 1970), the basal plate of Diaphanopterodea is only par- 
tially homologous. It is apparently formed only by the fused cubi- 
toanal plate or eventually by the mediocubitoanal plate in which 
subcostal and radial basal plates do not participate. This condition 
is reminiscent of the “prefusion” stage of basal plates, known in 
primitive Palaeodictyoptera (Kukalova, i960), from which Dia- 
phanopterodea are supposedly derived. 
The diaphanopteran wing base developed, in all probability, from 
the ancient paleopterous base, at the stage when the basal plates of 
the main veins were still separated, as indicated in some ancient 
Palaeodictyoptera. While the subcostal and radial plate became 
completely reduced to give place to the basal fold, the cubital and 
anal (or median, cubital, and anal) plates gradually fused and 
became separated from the wing by the basal fold. 
The ability to penetrate narrow spaces for feeding and protection 
was undoubtedly a major factor in the success of Neoptera. The 
Diaphanopterodea, although having a wing-folding mechanism of 
their own, had highly specialized, haustellate mouthparts, as did 
their relatives, the Palaeodictyoptera and Megasecoptera. None of 
these paleopterous orders were apparently able to compete success- 
