Dobsonfly - Citizendia

Dobsonflies

Male Eastern Dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus)

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Infraclass:	Neoptera
Superorder:	Endopterygota or Neuropterida
Order:	Megaloptera
Family:	Corydalidae
Subfamily:	Corydalinae

Genera

Chloronia
Corydalus
Platyneuromus

The name dobsonfly refers to insects of the subfamily Corydalinae, part of the megalopteran family Corydalidae. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " The subphylum Hexapoda (from the Greek for six legs) constitutes the largest (in terms of number of species grouping of Arthropods and includes the Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Pterygota is a subclass of Insects that includes the winged insects Neoptera is a classification group that includes almost all the winged Insects specifically those that can flex their wings over their abdomens The Endopterygota, also known as Holometabola, are Insects of the subclass Pterygota which go through distinctive Larval Pupal The Neuropterida are a Clade of Holometabolous Insects Well-known members are the Lacewings Antlions and Dobsonflies Megaloptera is an order of Insects It contains the alderflies, Dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous Insects known as Dobsonflies and Fishflies. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The name dobsonfly refers to Insects of the Subfamily Corydalinae, part of the Megalopteran family Corydalidae. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described In Biological classification, family ( Latin Megaloptera is an order of Insects It contains the alderflies, Dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known In Biological classification, family ( Latin The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous Insects known as Dobsonflies and Fishflies. Their closest relatives are the fishflies. Fishflies are the members of the Subfamily Chauliodinae, belonging to the Megalopteran family Corydalidae. Distributed throughout the Americas, dobsonflies can be rather frightening in their appearance. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The males have extremely long mandibles, and the females', while not as long, are nonetheless quite large and intimidating. In arthropods the mandible is either of a pair of Arthropod Mouthparts used for biting cutting and holding food The most well-known of the numerous species is Corydalus cornutus, the Eastern Dobsonfly. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. This is a long, dark-colored insect found in North and Central America. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described

Both male and female dobsonflies can reach lengths up to five inches (12. 5 cm), measured from the tips of their pincers to the tips of their four wings, which, when not in use, are folded along the length of their walkingstick-like bodies. "Phasmid" redirects here For the cloning vector used in genetics see Phagemid. Their wingspans can be twice as long as their body length, and the wings themselves are densely lined with intersecting veins. Additionally, dobsonflies have segmented antennae similar to ants and wasps. Antennae (singular antenna) are paired Appendages connected to the front-most segments of Arthropods In Crustaceans they are Ants are social Insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related families of Wasps and Bees belong to the order A wasp is any Insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a Bee nor Ant.

Though both male and female dobsonflies have sharp mandibles, those of an adult male dobsonfly are actually so big - up to 1 inch (25 mm) - that they are unable to harm humans, as have such poor leverage that theyre incapable of breaking the skin. They are used exclusively during mating, where males show them off and grasp the females during copulation. Female dobsonflies, however, retain the short, powerful pincers they had as larvae, so they can inflict painful bites, which can draw blood. Nonwithstanding the males' inability to inflict harm, when threatened, both sexes will raise their heads and spread their jaws menacingly. They are not poisonous, but possess an irritating, foul-smelling anal spray as a last-ditch defense.

A hellgrammite

Dobsonflies spend most of their life in the larval stage. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example Dobsonfly larvae are called hellgrammites, and are familiar to anglers who like to use the chunky larvae as bait. Hellgrammites live under rocks at the bottoms of lakes, streams and rivers, and prey on other insect larvae. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described After a few years of living and growing underwater, the larvae crawl out onto land and pupate. A pupa ( Latin pupa for doll pl pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some Insects undergoing transformation They stay in their cocoons over the winter and emerge only to mate. A pupa ( Latin pupa for doll pl pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some Insects undergoing transformation Upon emerging, they live for only seven days. While not generally believed to eat during their adult stage, some captive female specimens have been observed with their heads burrowed into blackberries.

Adults can generally be found from late spring into the middle of summer, preferring to remain near bodies of water, particularly the ones where they grew up. Once they emerge as adults they mate, deposit their eggs near the water (often on overhanging vegetation), then die. They are primarily nocturnal, and like most aquatic insects, are commonly attracted to bright lights. As an Animal behavior, nocturnality describes sleeping during the Daytime and being active at Night - the opposite of the diurnal

External links

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
network: | |