Species Chauliodes rastricornis - Spring Fishfly

Chauliodes rastricornis Rambur 1842

Head and pronotum have dark markings on light brown background, as opposed to yellowish markings on dark brown background of C. pectinicornis. Antennae of females are serrate, while those of males are pectinate. A Chauliodes with serrate antennae should be a female C. rastricornis. Also, note earlier flight (spring) of C. rastricornis in most of the east. C. pectinicornis typically flies in summer.

The antennae of females are serrate (saw-like):

The comb-like, (pectinate) antennae of the males are quite obvious, see, for instance:

e. NA; more common in subtropical Florida than C. pectinicornis.

Near calm bodies of water with detritus.

Adults typically fly late spring: March?-May (North Carolina), April-May (West Virginia). Seen into June and even early July in New England (see Massachusetts records). Further south (Florida), this species is seen much of year.

Adults have been recorded feeding on sugary and fermented solutions in laboratory settings.(1)

Larvae omnivorous: detritivores, herbivores, predators. See account for C. pectinicornis.

C. pectinicornis, summer fishfly, which flies later in season (with some overlap). Identification section above has more details on how to separate these two species.

Summer Fishfly vs Spring Fishfly