Protophasma

Protophasma (meaning "first phantom") is an extinct genus of Protorthopteran insect from the Carboniferous of Europe and North America.

Protophasma Temporal range: Carboniferous
Protophasma dumasii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Superorder:	Orthopterida
Order:	incertae sedis
Family:	Protophasmatidae
Genus:	Protophasma Brongniart, 1878
Species
P. dumasii P. galtieri P. multidiffusa

Description

Three species of Protophasma are described, type species, Protophasma dumasii (sometimes mistyped as P. dumasi) is known from Late Carboniferous (Stephanian) Coal Measures of Commentry, France.^[1] Protophasma galtieri is known from Mazon Creek fossil beds in Illinois,^[2] and Protophasma multidiffusa, originally described as Heterologellus (?) multidiffusus, is known from Germany.^[3] Previously assigned species, P. gaudryi later moved to the genus Protodiamphipnoa, and P. woodwardi moved into genus Cnemidolestes.^[4]

P. dumasii have forewings with morphology that allows the assignment of Archaeorthoptera, but hindwings have morphological similarity to Blattodea.^[1]