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

Order Megaloptera - Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies

Fishfly - Chauliodes pectinicornis - female Gray Fishfly - Neohermes angusticollis - male Dobson Fly? - Chauliodes Fishfly exuvia - Chauliodes rastricornis - male What is this? - Chauliodes pectinicornis giant fly - Corydalus cornutus Not a dobson fly? - Chauliodes pectinicornis Appears to be changing into what? - Chauliodes
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Formerly considered a suborder of Neuroptera, called either Megaloptera or Sialodea.
Explanation of Names
From Greek megalo large, great; plus ptera wing. Term first used by Latreille, 1803 (1) (2).
Numbers
Nearctica lists only two families: Corydalidae with 22 species in 7 genera and Sialidae with 24 species, all in the genus Sialis.
See Also
Related groups in Superorder Neuropterida:
Megaloptera - Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies
Raphidioptera - Snakeflies
Neuroptera - Antlions, Lacewings and Allies
Print References
Borror, entry for meg- alo (1)
The Century Dictionary--entry for Megaloptera (2)
Arnett, pp. 344-345 (3)
Internet References
Tree of Life--Megaloptera
Wikipedia--Megaloptera
Winds of Kansas.com--Megaloptera