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Information about Megaloptera

Megaloptera
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Alderfly, Sialis species

Alderfly, Sialis species
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Superorder:Endopterygota
Order:Megaloptera
Families


Megaloptera, from the Greek words mega, meaning large, and ptera, meaning wing, is an order of insects closely related to (and historically often included in) the order Neuroptera. containing the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies. It is sometimes considered a separate order. Megaloptera undergo the most rudimentary form of complete metamorphosis among the insects (there are fewer differences between the larval and adult forms of Megaloptera than in any other order of holometabolous insects), and their aquatic larvae dwell in fresh water, around which the adults also live. Females lay their eggs in large masses on vegetation that is proximate to water. The larvae are carnivorous, possessing strong jaws that they use to capture other aquatic insects. They grow slowly, taking several years to reach the last larval stage. When they reach maturity, the larvae crawl out onto land to pupate in damp soil or under logs. The short-lived adults emerge later to mate - many species never feed as adults, living only a few days or hours. The most well-known of the Megaloptera is probably the dobsonfly, in which males have tusk-like mandibles - but while formidable in appearance, they are relatively harmless to humans, as well as all other organisms. These huge mandibles, much like a peacock's feathers, serve no purpose other than to attract mates. Hellgrammites, which are dobsonfly larvae, are often used for bait.

There are about 300 known species.

References

Sialidae
Leach, 1815

Alderflies are neuropterous insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies, and have long filamentous antennae and four large wings, of which the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior.
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Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829

Subphyla and Classes
  • Subphylum Trilobitomorpha
  • Trilobita - trilobites (extinct)
  • Subphylum Chelicerata

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Insecta
Linnaeus, 1758

Orders
Subclass Apterygota
* Archaeognatha (bristletails)
* Thysanura (silverfish)
Subclass Pterygota
* Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic)

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Endopterygota
Sharp, 1898

Orders

Hymenoptera (ants, bees, etc.)
Coleoptera (beetles)
Strepsiptera (twisted-winged parasites)
Raphidioptera (snakeflies)
Megaloptera (alderflies, etc.
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Sialidae
Leach, 1815

Alderflies are neuropterous insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies, and have long filamentous antennae and four large wings, of which the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior.
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Corydalidae

The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous insects known as dobsonflies and fishflies. They often have long filamentous antennae, though in some groups they may be short and plumose, and four large wings, of which the anterior
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Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
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recognised as minority language in parts of:
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Regulated by:
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Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Insecta
Linnaeus, 1758

Orders
Subclass Apterygota
* Archaeognatha (bristletails)
* Thysanura (silverfish)
Subclass Pterygota
* Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic)

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Neuroptera
Linnaeus, 1758

Superfamilies

see text

The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives (the group that was once known as the Planipennia).
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Sialidae
Leach, 1815

Alderflies are neuropterous insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies, and have long filamentous antennae and four large wings, of which the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior.
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Corydalus cornutus]]
Male Corydalus cornutus


Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda
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Fishfly may refer to:
  • A common name for a mayfly
  • A member of the family of megalopterous insects Corydalidae

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Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's form or structure through cell growth and differentiation.
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Holometabolism, also called complete metamorphism, is a term applied to insect groups to describe the specific kind of insect development which includes four life stages - as an embryo, a larva, a pupa and an imago.
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larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians).

The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly.
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carnivore (IPA: /ˈkɑrnɪvɔər/), meaning 'meat eater' (Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare
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pupa (Latin pupa for doll, pl: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo,
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Pavo
Linnaeus, 1758

Species

Pavo cristatus
Pavo muticus

The term peafowl can refer to the two species of bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae.
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Corydalus cornutus]]
Male Corydalus cornutus


Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda
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David Grimaldi (entomologist) (born September 22, 1957) is an entomologist and Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He received his graduate training at Cornell University, where he earned his doctorate in Entomology in 1986. Dr.
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Michael S. Engel (born 24 September 1971 in Creve Coeur, Missouri) is a paleontologist and entomologist. He has undertaken field work in Central Asia, Asia Minor, and the Western Hemisphere, and published more than 200 papers in scientific journals.
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