NOMEN: †Meganisoptera Martynov 1932: 17 [A.V. Martynov . New Permian Palaeoptera with the descussion of some problems of their evolution. – Òðóäû Ïàëåîçîîëîãè÷åñêîãî èíñòèòóòàòà ÀÍ ÑÑÑÐ, (1931) 1930, 1: 1-44]
ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP (Martynov 1932):
Meganeuridae
SENIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:
= Meganeuroptera Tillyard 1918 (non Crampton 1916)
= Prototyloptera Crampton 1924
= Protaeshnoptera Crampton 1928
JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYM:
= Meganisopterida Carpenter 1939
TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Meganeura/fg
TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE: Meganeuridae, Meganeuromorpha, Meganeurina, Meganeurida
MODERN
STATUS: 
the valid (while not the oldest) name of a generally
accepted, extinct plesiomorphon.
Meganisoptera s.l. (including Eomeganisoptera and
Geroptera) is probably paraphyletic; Meganisoptera s.str. is possibly
holophyletic (Bechly 1996).
Systematic position of Meganisoptera:
| the most pessimistic classification (Kluge 2000): |
| Odonatoptera,
or Odonata s.l. (Libellula/fg1) † Meganisoptera s.l. (Meganeura/fg1) † Geroptera (Eugeropteron/fg1) † Eomeganisoptera (Erasipteron/fg1) † Meganisoptera s.str. (Meganeura/fg2) † Protanisoptera (Ditaxineura/fg1) † Triadophlebioptera (Triadophlebia/fg1) † Protozygoptera (Kennedya/fg1) Neodonata, or Odonata s.str. (Libellula/fg2) Zygoptera Anisopteroides |
| the most optimistic classification (Bechly 1996): |
| Odonatoptera,
or Odonata s.1 (Libellula/fg1) † Geroptera (Eugeropteron/fg1) Nodonatoptera, or Odonata s.2 (Libellula/fg2) † Eomeganisoptera (Erasipteron/fg1) Euodonatoptera, or Odonata s.3 (Libellula/fg3) † Meganisoptera s.str. (Meganeura/fg1) Odonatoclada, or Odonata s.4 (Libellula/fg4) † Campyloptera/fg1 † Lapeyuria/fg1 Nodialata, or Odonata s.5 (Libellula/fg5) † Protanisoptera (Ditaxineura/fg1) Discoidalia, or Odonata s.6 (Libellula/fg6) † Triadophlebioptera (Triadophlebia/fg1 or Triadotypus/fg1) Stigmoptera, or Odonata s.7 (Libellula/fg7) † Protozygoptera (Kennedya/fg1) Neodonata, or Odonata s.8 (Libellula/fg8) † Tarsophlebia/fg1 Odonata s.9 (Libellula/fg9) Zygoptera Anisopteroides |
COMMENT.
Sometimes this taxon is wrongly named Protodonata. Initially the family
Protodonata Brongniart 1885
was established for a single genus Protagrion, while the genus Meganeura was placed to another family, named Sthenaropterida.
Later (Lameere 1900,
Handlirsch
1906-1908) to the taxon Protodonata were added Meganeura and other insects, recently
attributed to Meganisoptera. Recently Protagrion is not regarded to be close to
Meganeura, and is attributed not to Odonatoptera, but to Protorrhynchota (Martynov 1932, Carpenter 1943, Ðîäåíäîðô
1962, Bethoux & Nel 2003, et al.); the usage of the name Protodonata for the taxon which includes
Meganeura and does not include Protagrion, contradicts to its original circumscription. The name Meganisoptera is widely accepted for this taxon. The
name Meganeuroptera
Tillyard 1918 (from words "Meganeura" and "ptera") is older, but at the same time is peoccupied, because
the same name Meganeuroptera Crampton 1916 (from words "mega" and
"Neuroptera") was given for the taxon Corydalus/f1=Chauliodes/g1. The
names Prototyloptera Crampton 1924 and Protaeshnoptera
Crampton 1928 were given as synonyms of "Protodonata"
in unknown sense, so they can be only presumably attributed to this taxon.