Fishfly
Encyclopedia
Fishflies are the members of the subfamily Chauliodinae, belonging to the megaloptera
n family
Corydalidae
. They are most easily distinguished from their closest relatives, dobsonflies
, by the jaws (mandibles) and antennae. In contrast to the large (especially in males) jaws of dobsonflies, fishfly mandibles are not particularly large, menacing or obvious, and the males have feathery antennae similar to many large moth
s. Chauliodes pectinicornis
, the "summer fishfly", is a well-known species in North America
.
In contrast to mayflies, which are small and live only 24 hours as adults, Fishflies are quite large, eat aquatic plants as well as smallish animals including vertebrate
s like minnow
s and tadpole
s, and may live up to seven days as adults. Their entire lifespan is several years, but most of this time is spent as larva
e.
Along the Upper Mississippi River
, and its tributaries, on one evening around June, the newly-hatched fishflies rise to the air by the billions. River towns are afflicted with a night's worth of misery and days' worth of cleanup. Depending upon the wind, they can go many miles inward, or within the Driftless Area, a good 660 feet upward and across.
Megaloptera
Megaloptera is an order of insects. It contains the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known species.The Megaloptera were formerly considered part of a group then called Neuroptera, together with lacewings and snakeflies, but these are now generally considered to be...
n family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Corydalidae
Corydalidae
The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous insects known as dobsonflies and fishflies. Making up about one dozen genera, they occur primarily throughout the Northern Hemisphere, both temperate and tropical, and South America....
. They are most easily distinguished from their closest relatives, dobsonflies
Dobsonfly
A Dobsonfly is any insect of the subfamily Corydalinae, part of the megalopteran family Corydalidae. There are over 220 species of dobsonflies. Dobsonflies are found throughout the Americas and Asia, as well as South Africa...
, by the jaws (mandibles) and antennae. In contrast to the large (especially in males) jaws of dobsonflies, fishfly mandibles are not particularly large, menacing or obvious, and the males have feathery antennae similar to many large moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s. Chauliodes pectinicornis
Chauliodes pectinicornis
Chauliodes pectinicornis is a species of fishfly from North America.-Distribution:C. pectinicornis has a wide distribution in the eastern United States, from Maine in the north-east to Alachua, Liberty and Santa Rosa counties in Florida to the south-east, and as far west as Kansas.-Taxonomic...
, the "summer fishfly", is a well-known species in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
In contrast to mayflies, which are small and live only 24 hours as adults, Fishflies are quite large, eat aquatic plants as well as smallish animals including vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s like minnow
Minnow
Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...
s and tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s, and may live up to seven days as adults. Their entire lifespan is several years, but most of this time is spent as larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e.
Along the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
, and its tributaries, on one evening around June, the newly-hatched fishflies rise to the air by the billions. River towns are afflicted with a night's worth of misery and days' worth of cleanup. Depending upon the wind, they can go many miles inward, or within the Driftless Area, a good 660 feet upward and across.