The history of the study of extant and extinct ptychopterids is reviewed. The morphology of the ptychopterid imago and preimaginal stages is discussed. Synonymy of Eoptychopteridae under Ptychopteridae is demonstrated. A new system of the family Ptychopteridae is proposed; it comprises the subfamilies Proptychopterininae (genus Proptychopterina), Eoptychopterinae (genera Eoptychoptera, Architendipes, Crenoptychoptera, Doptychoptera, Nedoptychoptera, Leptychoptera), Eoptychopterininae (genera Eoptychopterina, ?Bolboia), Ptychopterinae (genera Ptychoptera, Brodilka), and Bittacomorphinae (genera Bittacomorpha, Bittacomorphella, Probittacomorpha, Zhiganka). Ptychopterids appear to originate in the Early Jurassic.