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'Dictyoptera' includes three groups of insects, the Isoptera (termites), Blattodea (or Blattaria; cockroaches) and the Mantodea (mantids, or praying mantises). The use of the term Dictyoptera has changed over the years, and while largely out of use for much of the last century, it is becoming more widely used. It is presently usually considered a superorder, with Isoptera, Blattodea and Mantodea being its three orders. In some classifications, however, Dictyoptera is shifted to order status. Regardless, in all classifications, the three constituent groups are the same, just treated at different rank. Termites and roaches are very closely related, and together are the sister group to the mantids.
Based on molecular genetic evidence, the closest living relatives of the Dictyoptera are the phasmids and the enigmatic Mantophasmatodea and Grylloblattodea; if the Dictyoptera are considered a superorder, these three orders might be included in it (Cameron ''et al.'', 2006).
Although all modern Dictyoptera have short ovipositors, the oldest fossils of Dictyoptera have long ovipositors, much like members of the Orthoptera.

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External links

References

★ Cameron, Stephen L.; Barker, Stephen C. & Whiting, Michael F. (2006): Mitochondrial genomics and the new insect order Mantophasmatodea. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '38': 274–279. (HTML abstract)

External links

★ Tree of Life Dictyoptera Page