Family Corydalidae - Dobsonflies and Fishflies

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Works Cited

Cross between a dragonfly and stick bug? Dobsonfly! - Corydalus cornutus

Appears to be changing into what? - Chauliodes

Never seen this one before. - Corydalus cornutus

Orange-headed fishfly - Neohermes concolor

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)

Family Corydalidae (Dobsonflies and Fishflies)

Explanation of Names

Corydalidae Leach 1815

Numbers

22 spp. in 7 genera in our area(1)(2)(3)(4), ~250 spp. in 36 genera total

Size

wingspan up to 210 mm; in our area, BL 25-80 mm; Corydalis cornutus males can have a 14 cm wingspan and mandibles >4 cm long(1)

Identification

wings folded flat over back at rest

ocelli present

fourth segment of tarsi rounded (flattened in Sialidae)

antennae variable: may be filiform, moniliform, serrate, or pectinate

males of some species have enlarged mandibles

Range

New World, S/SE Asia, Australasia; in our area, genera Chauliodes, Corydalus, Neohermes, Nigronia are eastern; Neohermes & Dysmicohermes in nw. NA, Orohermes & Protochauliodes along the Pacific Coast

Habitat

Larvae are aquatic. Adults are terrestrial, often found near larval habitat, and come to lights

Food

Larvae feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles, and small fish; adults either do not feed, or take small quantities of nectar and fruit juices(1)

Life Cycle

larvae go through 7―8 instars and take 2―5 years to reach maturity

Print References

(5)

Works Cited

1.	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.

2.	Systematics of the dobsonfly genus Corydalus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) Contreras-Ramos A. 1998. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. 360 pp.

3.	Phylogenetic review of dobsonflies of the subfamily Corydalinae and the genus Corydalus Latreille (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) Contreras-Ramos A. 2011. Zootaxa 2862: 1–38.

4.	A New Fishfly Species (Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Neohermes Banks) Discovered from North America by a Systematic Revision Xingyue Liu & Shaun L. Winterton. 2016. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0148319.

5.	Aquatic Insects of California Robert L. Usinger, Editor. 1956. University of California Press.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 3 May, 2004 - 3:48pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Robin McLeod, Lynette Elliott, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, PaleoJon
Last updated 1 August, 2023 - 5:14pm

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