Dictyoptera
Dictyoptera
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Elateroidea
- Family: Lycidae
- Subfamily: Erotinae
- Genus: Dictyoptera
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Dictyoptera: /dɪkˈtiːɒptərə/
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Images
Summary
Dictyoptera is an insect superorder that includes Blattodea and Mantodea, characterized by short ovipositors and the laying of oothecae.
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed coniferous forests
Distribution
Holarctic & Oriental; most diverse in E/SE Asia; in North America, D. aurora is transcontinental, D. simplicipes is western, extending north to LB-NT-AK.
Evolution
Dictyoptera includes two extant orders: Blattodea (termites and cockroaches) and Mantodea (mantises). Oldest fossils date to the Late Carboniferous, and modern oothecae-laying forms appeared in the Late Triassic. Genetic evidence shows close relationship with Phasmatodea, Mantophasmatodea, and Grylloblattodea.
Similar Taxa
- Phasmatodea
- Mantophasmatodea
- Grylloblattodea
Misconceptions
In some classifications, the order Isoptera has been subsumed under Blattodea while retaining Dictyoptera as a superorder.
Tags
- Dictyoptera
- Blattodea
- Mantodea
- superorder
- insect classification