Phylogeny of the Dictyoptera

Relationships among six key dictyopteran taxa (Mantodea; Blat- todea (excluding Cryptocercidae); Cryptocercidae; Mastotermes darwiniensis, Termopsidae and Kalotermitidae (Isoptera)) are analysed based on seventy morphological, developmental and behavioural characters. The fossil record and the 'living fossil' genera Cryptocercus, Mastotermes and Archotermopsisare discussed in detail. Exact analysis of the character state matrix by implicit enu- meration (Hennig86) resulted in one cladogram, strongly supporting Blattodea + Cryptocercidae as a sister group to Mantodea, with the Isoptera as a sister group to that complex. Arrangements within the termites are equivocal, with Termopsidae and Mastotermes darwiniensis possible as the relatively most pri- mitive element of Isoptera.