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Genus Chauliodes

Whatzit - Chauliodes rastricornis - male Fishfly - Chauliodes Spring Fishfly - Chauliodes rastricornis - male mating fishflies - Chauliodes rastricornis - male - female 4 Chauliodes rastricornis - Spring Fishfly? - Chauliodes rastricornis Spring Fishfly - Chauliodes rastricornis - male Chauliodes pectinicornis - Summer Fishfly - Chauliodes rastricornis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)
Family Corydalidae (Dobsonflies and Fishflies)
Subfamily Chauliodinae (Fishflies)
Genus Chauliodes
Explanation of Names
Chauliodes Latreille 1796
Greek 'remarkable tooth', refers to larval mandibles:
Numbers
2 spp. total, both in our area(1)
Size
body 21-46 mm
Identification
Similar to Corydalis but pronotum differently shaped and jaws less prominent. Neohermes have bead-like (moniliform) antennae (not serrate or pectinate).
How to separate species:(1)(2)

Mid-dorsal markings on head, pronotum, abdomen: dark on pale background in C. rastricornis vs pale on dark background in C. pectinicornis
      Head and pronotum of C. pectinicornis (left) vs. C. rastricornis (right)

Antennae: pectinate (feather-like) in both sexes in C. pectinicornis but only in males of C. rastricornis (its females have serrate antennae)
      Antennae of females of C. rastricornis females of C. pectinicornis
      Antennae of males of C. rastricornis vs males of C. pectinicornis

In lateral view of male abdomen, anal plate is triangular in C. rastricornis, cylindrical in male C. pectinicornis.
Flight date: In much of range, C. rastricornis flies earlier in the season (e.g., Mar-May in NC) than C. pectinicornis (e.g., May-Aug in NC)(3), although flight dates may overlap deep south (FL)

Larvae: Mid-dorsal abdominal line black in C. rastricornis, yellow in C. pectinicornis(1)
      Larvae of C. pectinicornis (left) vs. C. rastricornis (right)
Range
e. NA; both spp. widespread(1)
Habitat
larvae in slow-moving waters with lots of detritus, esp. decaying logs(1) (unlike Corydalis, associated with streams)
Season
Spring-summer; in FL, adults of the more common C. rastricornis collected year-round, whereas adults of C. pectinicornis occur primarily during spring & summer(1)
Food
Larvae aquatic, omnivorous(1); adults have been recorded feeding on sugary and fermented solutions in laboratory settings(4)
Life Cycle
Both spp. are univoltine. Larvae leave the water to pupate under bark or in rotting wood; pupal period takes ~10 days. Adults live a week or less. Eggs are laid in masses on vegetation near water. Larvae hatch and crawl to water.(1)
Works Cited
1.A guide to the Megaloptera and aquatic Neuroptera of Florida
Rasmussen A.K., Pescador M.L. 2002. Florida Dept of Environmental Protection, Div. Water Resource Management. Tallahassee. iii+45 pp.
2.Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan
3.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
4.The Megaloptera and Neuroptera of Minnesota
Sophy I. Parfin. 1952. The American Midland Naturalist, 47(2): 421-434.