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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies (Megaloptera) » Alderflies (Sialidae) » Nearctic Alderflies (Sialis)
Photo#25705
Sialidae? - Sialis
Copyright © 2005 Joshua Stuart Rose

Sialidae? - Sialis
Ellerbee Creek headwaters, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
July 7, 2005
Size: 16 mm
This critter was lurking in the woods near an Ellerbee Creek tributary. This was on private land, owned by a radio station. We thought it was a stonefly at the time, but after surfing the guide, Alderfly seems like a much closer resemblance. Anyone disagree?

Detail of head of this individual:

Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 26 July, 2005 - 4:23pm
Last updated 5 January, 2006 - 5:05pm

I'm with you
Looks like an alderfly to me. How big was it?
… Troy Bartlett, 30 July, 2005 - 4:28pm

 
medium-sized
It was not extremely big or small; shorter than one of my fingers, but longer than half that. 1-2 inches.
… Joshua Stuart Rose, 30 July, 2005 - 9:17pm

 
Size this individual
Josh, I had a photograph of this individual as well, and I did get a photo adjacent to a scale. The length was 16 mm, head to tip of wings.

Good job on the identification--I had just realized what it was and then I found your photo.

I'll have to watch for these in spring--July looks like it was the end of the flight season.

Be sure to check out the weird pupa we found nearby:



Looks to be Chauliodes pectinicornis, as I can see the distinctive pronotal markings of that species through the pupal skin.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
… Cotinis, 5 January, 2006 - 10:33am

 
Genus Sialis
There's but one genus in North America, Sialis, and I'll move the photo there.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
… Cotinis, 5 January, 2006 - 12:34am

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