I IO 
Psyche 
[June 
The Australian Protocoleidae, Permophilidae and Stenelytridae 
have some characteristic features in common — large or very large, 
little sclerotized, flat tegmina of blattoid type with original arche- 
dictyon reduced to dense granulation (eventually with tubercles 
added), a rounded and very projecting costal expansion, and an ex- 
tremely broad subcostal area. It is very hard to say at present whether 
these morphological features are due to phylogenetic relationship, or 
due to functional adaptation to similar environmental conditions. 
The difficult problem is the position of Dermelytridae, because of 
the specialized outline, and the practically complete reduction of vena- 
tion. Still, even this very remote family has “Australian” features, 
as tegminous (though convex in this case only) fore wings and 
rugose wing surfaces, the Dermelytridae lack the typical, rounded, 
projecting costal expansion. Relationship with European and Amer- 
ican Blattelytridae, which also possess the reduced venation, is not 
apparent. 
It appears that the Australian Protelytroptera have been derived 
from very archaic protelytropterous ancestors with tegminous fore 
wings, rich in branches, during the Carboniferous. They radiated in 
different lines, with a general trend to strengthen their tegmina more 
by sculpturing (granulation, tubercles, rugosity) than by sclerotiza- 
tion. 
References 
Carpenter, F. M. 
1933. The Lower Permian Insects of Kansas. Part 6. Delopteridae, 
Protelytroptera, Plectoptera, and a new collection of Protodonata, 
Odonata, Megasecoptera, Homoptera and Psocoptera. Proc. Amer. 
Acad. Arts Sci. 68 ( 11) :411-503. 
1938. The Lower Permian Insects of Kansas. Part 8. Additional 
Megasecoptera, Protodonata, Odonata, Homoptera, Psocoptera, 
Protelytroptera, Plectoptera and Protoperlaria. Proc. Amer. Acad. 
Arts Sci. 73 (3) :29-70. 
1954. Keys to Extinct Families of Insects, in: Brues, C. T., Melander, 
A. L., Carpenter, F. M., Classification of Insects. Bull Mus. 
Comp. Zool. 108:777-826. 
Carpenter, F. M. and J. Kukalova 
1964. The structure of the Protelytroptera, with description of a new 
genus from Permian strata of Moravia. Psyche 71 (4) :183-197. 
Forbes, W. T. M. 
1928. The Protocoleoptera. Psyche, 3 5 :32-35. 
Jeannel, R. 
1949. Les insectes fossiles, in: Grasse, P., Traite de Zoologie, 9:1-85. 
