Palaeoptera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PalaeopteraTemporal range: Carboniferous – Recent
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| The Green Drake (Ephemera danica), a mayfly (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) | |
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Palaeoptera
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Ephemeropteroidea |
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The Palaeoptera is a group of ancient winged insects. What makes them special is that they cannot fold their wings flat over their backs. Most insects today, like butterflies and beetles, can fold their wings.
Most of the insects in the Palaeoptera group are now extinct. The only living members are mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and Odonata (which includes dragonflies and damselflies).
Scientists are still studying how these ancient insects are related to each other and to modern insects. It's like a big puzzle they are trying to solve!
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What are Palaeoptera?
Palaeoptera are considered "primitive" insects. This means they appeared very early in insect evolution. Their main feature is that their wings stick out to the sides or back, even when they are resting. They cannot fold them neatly over their bodies like most other winged insects.
This group first appeared a very long time ago, during the Carboniferous period. This was about 359 to 299 million years ago!
Living Palaeoptera
Today, only two main groups of Palaeoptera are still alive:
Mayflies
Mayflies (scientific name: Ephemeroptera) are delicate insects. They spend most of their lives as nymphs (young insects) in water. When they become adults, they live for a very short time, often just a day or two. Their main job as adults is to reproduce.
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies (scientific name: Odonata) are well-known for their beautiful wings and amazing flying skills. They are predators, meaning they hunt other insects like mosquitoes. They also spend their early lives in water as nymphs before becoming winged adults.
Extinct Palaeoptera
Many fascinating Palaeoptera groups are now extinct. These include:
- Palaeodictyoptera group: These were some of the earliest winged insects. They had unique mouthparts that looked like beaks.
- Dragonfly-like groups: Before modern dragonflies, there were giant prehistoric dragonflies like Meganisoptera. Some of these could have wingspans of over 70 cm (28 inches)!
Scientists study the fossils of these extinct insects to learn about Earth's ancient past.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Palaeoptera para niños
