Diaphanopterodea

The Diaphanopterodea are an extinct group of insects that lived in the Paleozoic era, from the late Carboniferous to the late Permian periods.
They are known for being some of the earliest flying insects, and for having the ability to fold their wings over their thorax and abdomen, similar to modern neopteran insects.
They also had a beak-like mouthpart that could pierce and suck fluids, possibly blood, from plants or animals.
They had diverse shapes and sizes, ranging from mosquito-like to dragonfly-like, and some had long hair-like filaments covering their bodies.
They belonged to the superorder Palaeodictyopteroidea, which also included other primitive winged insects with beaked mouthparts.
They became extinct during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event, along with most of their relatives.

• The Diaphanopterodea are considered to be a monophyletic group, meaning that they share a common ancestor that is not shared by any other group of insects.

• The nymphs of the Diaphanopterodea had a unique appearance, being covered in numerous hair-like filaments that may have served as sensory or protective structures.

• The Diaphanopterodea are sometimes called Paramegasecoptera, which means "beside the large scythe-wings", referring to their close relatives, the Megasecoptera, another extinct order of Paleozoic insects.

Diaphanopterodea varied in size, but some of them were quite large, reaching up to 15 cm in wingspan.

Their small wings were mostly transparent, with a network of veins and cross-veins.

The body was slender and elongated, with a small head, a long thorax, and a segmented abdomen.

Diaphanopterodea included about 10 families, 25 genera, and 50 species.

Some of the well-known genera are Diaphanoptera, Prochoroptera, Elmoa, and Martynovia.

They were closely related to other Palaeozoic beaked insects, such as the Megasecoptera, Permothemistida, and Palaeodictyoptera.