Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies (Megaloptera) » Alderflies (Sialidae) » Protosialis » Protosialis americana
Photo#40353
Protosialis americana
Copyright © 2006 Cotinis

Protosialis americana
Ellerbee Creek headwaters, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
July 7, 2005
Size: 16 mm
A detail of the same individual photographed by Josh Rose (photo deleted)...
This shows the head without ocelli (simple eyes), a characteristic of Sialidae versus Corydalidae (fishflies). The antennae are threadlike, perhaps, with segmentation and hairs. I don't know how characteristic the antennae are for this family, but antennae are often helpful for recognizing groups in the neuroptera/megaloptera.

Update 5/27/22. See comments and linked image. Looks like Protosialis americana. Nice to get a species-level ID after all this time.

Images of this individual: tag all
Protosialis americana Protosialis americana
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Cotinis on 5 January, 2006 - 5:04pm
Last updated 27 May, 2022 - 1:44pm

Moved
Moved from Alderflies. Thanks Jonathan, this looks like your critter.
… Cotinis, 27 May, 2022 - 1:31pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Sialis.

This might instead be Protosialis americana based on the head coloration. It does look like there may also be evidence of the characteristically lighter femora. Regrettably, it looks like Joshua's photo was deleted (though the page was archived in the Wayback Machine, the file wasn't).

(Protosialis was re-split from Sialis back in 2015.)
… Jonathan Hoskins, 27 May, 2022 - 11:04am login or register to post comments

 
whole critter
Well, I had photos of the whole critter in my files, but I had not posted them here. Best one now linked:

I think I see the light femora.
… Cotinis, 27 May, 2022 - 1:22pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact