Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Order Megaloptera - Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies

Corydalidae, Spring Fishfly - Chauliodes rastricornis - male fishfly - Chauliodes pectinicornis Bug found on a brick building - Corydalus cornutus - male Protochauliodes spenceri Late night visitor Summer Fishfly? - Chauliodes rastricornis - female Chauliodes rastricornis  - Chauliodes rastricornis - male Megaloptera? - Neohermes concolor
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Formerly treated as a part of Neuroptera
Explanation of Names
Greek megalo 'large, great' + pteron 'wing'
Numbers
43 spp. in 8 genera of 2 families in our area(1)(2)
Identification
key to larvae & adults of the eastern spp.(3)
Life Cycle
Holometabolous, complete metamorphosis. Larva may take 1 to 5 years to complete development.
See Also
other Neuropterida: Raphidioptera, Neuroptera
Print References
(4)(5)
Internet References
(6)
Works Cited
1.Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico
Penny N.D., Adams P.A., Stange L.A. 1997. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50: 39‒114.
2.Neuropterida Species of the World catalogue (by J.D. Oswald)
3.Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan
4.A preliminary survey of the Megaloptera of Oklahoma
Arnold D.C., Drew W.A. 1987. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 67: 23-26.
5.Alderflies, fishflies and dobsonflies (Insecta: Megaloptera) of the Interior Highlands, U.S.A.
David E. Bowles and Robert W. Sites. 2015. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, Vol. 141. Issue 3, pp. 405-429.
6.Beckemeyer R.J. Neuropterida (Neuroptera, Megaloptera and Raphidioptera) of Kansas