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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies (Megaloptera) » Alderflies (Sialidae) » Sialis

Genus Sialis

Classification · Pronunciation · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)

Family Sialidae (Alderflies)

Genus Sialis

Pronunciation

Sigh-AL-is

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Two former species of Sialis were transferred to Protosialis (P. americana and P. glabella) by Liu et al. (2015)(1)(2)

Explanation of Names

Sialis Latreille 1802

From Greek sialis (σιαλις) 'a type of bird'(3)

Numbers

22 spp. in our area;(4)(1)(2) 60 worldwide as the most speciose megalopteran genus(5)(6)

1. Sialis aequalis: eastern (CT, DE, GA, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, VA, VT, WV)

2. Sialis arvalis: western (CA & OR)

3. Sialis bilobata: CA

4. Sialis californica: western (Canada: AB, BC; United States: CA, OR, WA)

5. Sialis concava: primarily north(eastern) (Canada: BC, ON; United States: MD, ME, NC, NY, VA, WV)

6. Sialis contigua: eastern (TN & VA)

7. Sialis cornuta: northern (Canada: AB; United States: ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

8. Sialis dreisbachi: northeastern (MI, MN, WI)

9. Sialis hamata: western (Canada: AB, BC; United States: ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)

10. Sialis hasta: eastern (AR, IN, KY, MI, MO, PA)

11. Sialis infumata: eastern (Canada: ON; United States: AR, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, VA, WI, WV)

12. Sialis iola: eastern (Canada: QC; United States: CT, DC, GA, IN, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, ON, PA, SC, VA)

13. Sialis itasca: eastern (Canada: ON, QC; United States: AR, DC, GA, IL, IN, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV)

14. Sialis joppa: eastern (Canada: ON; United States: AR, CT, DE, FL, IL, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, VA, VT, WI, WV)

15. Sialis mohri: eastern (Canada: NB, ON, QC; United States: AR, CT, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, TN, VT, WI)

16. Sialis nevadensis: southwestern (CA & NV)

17. Sialis nina: KY

18. Sialis occidens: southwestern (CA & NV)

19. Sialis rotunda: western (Canada: BC; United States: CA, OR, WA, WI)

20. Sialis spangleri: MD

21. Sialis vagans: eastern (Canada: NB, NS, ON, QC; United States: AR, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, VT, WI)

22. Sialis velata: transcontinental (Canada: AB, BC, MD, ON, QC, SK; United States: CO, CT, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OK, TN, TX, UT, WI, WV, WY)

Size

8-18 mm to wingtips(5)(6)

Identification

Black or dark brown insects that hold their heavily-veined wings folded roof-like over their backs. Head primarily black and lacking ocelli. Antennae roughly half the body length. Fourth tarsal segment widened, has two lobes. Wing venation:

Identification of many species requires microscopic examination of male genitalia.

keys to larvae & adults (9 spp.)(7)

Range

holarctic (widespread) and parts of the Neotropics; in our area, S. infumata, S. americana, and S. mohri are widespread; S. infumata represents a species complex(6)

Habitat

Adult typically found on vegetation near larval habitat (streams, ponds)

Larvae prefer soft substrates (mud, silt, detritus) with plant debris accumulations. Many species are associated with specific waterbody types, e.g., S. joppa is found primarily in small streams, S. itasca is associated with lakes, other spp. (such as S. americana, S. vagans) are known from both lakes and streams.(6)

Season

Typically May-Jun in most places, Apr-Jul in NC, Apr-May in KS, as early as Mar in TX(8)

Food

Larvae prey on aquatic invertebrates (chironomids, tubificid worms, ostracods)(5)(6); adults eat little, if at all

Life Cycle

Larvae pupate above water level. Mating at night. Eggs laid near water. Pupae overwinter.

Works Cited

1.	Phylogeny of the family Sialidae inferred from morphological data, with implications for generic classification and historical� Xingyue Liu, Fumio Hayashi, & Ding Yang. 2015. Cladistics 31(1): 18-49.

2.	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.

3.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.

4.	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.

5.	Aquatic Insects of North America R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.

6.	A Guide To The Megaloptera And Aquatic Neuroptera Of Florida

7.	Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan

8.	Insects of the Texas Lost Pines (W.L. Moody, Jr., Natural History Series, No. 33) Stephen W. Taber, Scott B. Fleenor. 2003. M University Press.

Contributed by Stephen_WV on 11 May, 2005 - 9:46am
Additional contributions by cotinis, v belov, PaleoJon
Last updated 27 May, 2022 - 10:02pm

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