|
Dobsonfly
Dobsonflies are a subfamily of insects, Corydalinae, part of the Megalopteran family (biology), family Corydalidae. The larvae (commonly called hellgrammites) are aquatic insect, aquatic, living in streams, and the adults are often found along streams as well. The nine genera of dobsonflies are distributed in the Americas, Asia, and South Africa. Etymology The origin of the word "dobsonfly" is unclear. John Henry Comstock used the term in reference to these insects in his 1897 book ''Insect Life'', but did not explain it. He also mentioned that angling, anglers used the word "hellgrammite" for the aquatic larvae they used as bait, but the origin of this term is also unknown. Description Adult dobsonflies are some of the largest non-Lepidopteran insects of temperate zones such as the United States and Canada, with a wingspan of up to in some species of ''Corydalus''.Stange, Lionel. "Alderflies and Dobsonflies." Encyclopedia of Entomology. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Publishing, 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corydalus Cornutus
The eastern dobsonfly, ''Corydalus cornutus'', is a large insect in the Corydalidae family. These are known as hellgrammites and are among the top invertebrate predators in the streams in which they live, and are used by anglers as bait. Distribution The eastern dobsonfly is found in most of eastern North America. It is usually found near the swift flowing, unpolluted streams where its aquatic larvae develop. Common names The origin of the word "dobsonfly" is unclear. John Henry Comstock used the term in reference to this species in his 1897 book ''Insect Life'',Comstock, John Henry (1897). Insect Life. Cornell University Library. Online. but did not explain it. He also mentioned that anglers use the word "hellgrammite" for the aquatic larvae they used as bait, but the origin of this term is also unknown.Turpin, TDobsonflies Look Vicious.Purdue Agriculture News Columns. Purdue Extension. August 8, 2013. These common names are still widely used for this and other species of cor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corydalidae
The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous insects known as dobsonflies and fishflies. Making up about three dozen genera, they occur primarily throughout North America, both temperate and tropical, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (particularly South Africa) and Asia. They are sizeable Megaloptera, with a body usually larger than 25 mm (1 inch). They often have long filamentous antennae, though in male fishflies they are characteristically feathered. Ocelli are present; the fourth tarsal segment is cylinder-shaped. The four large wings are translucent, smoky grey, or mixed, and the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior one. Their aquatic larvae are used as fish bait and are called hellgrammites. The larvae are aquatic, active, armed with strong sharp mandibles, and breathe by means of abdominal branchial filaments. When full sized — which can take several years — they leave the water and spend a quiescent pupal stage on the land, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acanthacorydalis Fruhstorferi
''Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi'' is a species of dobsonfly native to Vietnam and China. It holds the title of largest aquatic insect by wingspan according to the Guinness Book of World Records at 21.6 cm. The title formerly belonged to the Brazilian damselfly ''Microstigma rotundatum''. ''Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi'' was first described by Herman Willem van der Weele in 1907 from a specimen from "Than-Moi" (probably in Lạng Sơn Province), Vietnam. It is found throughout Southern China (Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Yunnan, and Zhejiang) and Northern Vietnam. Liu and associates proposed in 2005 that the species is most closely related to '' Acanthacorydalis sinensis'' citing morphological similarities relative to similar Chinese genera of '' Acanthacorydalis''. Specifically the wing and body colouration, yet differed by ''A.sinensiss lack of sagittal dorsal division. Life history Eggs are deposited between stones near flowing water. Larvae inhabit stre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corydalus
''Corydalus'' is a genus of large flying insects in the Corydalidae family, commonly known as dobsonflies. They are endemic to North, Central and South America and there are about 35 known species. Members of the genus have wing lengths of up to 85 millimetres. They are sexually dimorphic, with the males having large mandibles used to grasp the females during mating while the females have smaller jaws. The larvae are known as hellgrammites and are aquatic predators. Etymology ''Corydalus'' is a transliteration from the Greek κορδαλος (korúdalos) meaning a crested lark or the flower, larkspur, apparently related to Greek corys (κορυς) a helmet crest. The name probably refers to the long mandibles of the male which might be considered to resemble the crest of a lark, or perhaps, the decorative crests of a helmet. Species * '' Corydalus affinis'' Burmeister, 1839 - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela * '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chloronia
''Chloronia'' is a genus of dobsonflies in the family Corydalidae. Description ''Chloronia'' is one of the three New World dobsonfly genera, the other two being ''Platyneuromus'' and ''Corydalus. Chloronia'' are easily distinguished by their bright yellow coloration with black spots and are present from Northern Mexico south to Eastern South America. ''Chloronia'' frequently inhabit the same streams as ''Corydalus'' but prefer slower moving waters. Their larvae are distinguishable by their dark head and four dark spots on their pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e .... Taxonomy ''Chloronia'' contains the following species: * '' Chloronia absona'' * '' Chloronia antilliensis'' * '' Chloronia banksiana'' * '' Chloronia bogotana'' * '' Chloronia convergens'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaloptera
Megaloptera is an order of insects. It contains the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known species. The order's name comes from Ancient Greek, from ''mega-'' (μέγα-) "large" + ''pteryx'' (πτέρυξ) "wing", in reference to the large, clumsy wings of these insects. Megaloptera are relatively unknown insects across much of their range, due to the adults' short lives, the aquatic larvae's often-high tolerance of pollution (so they are not often encountered by swimmers etc.), and the generally crepuscular or nocturnal habits. However, in the Americas the dobsonflies are rather well known, as their males have tusk-like mandibles. These, while formidable in appearance, are relatively harmless to humans and other animals; much like a peacock's feathers, they serve mainly to impress females. However, the mandibles are also used to hold females during mating, and some male dobsonflies spar with each other in courtship displays, trying to flip eac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandible (insect Mouthpart)
Insect mandibles are a pair of appendages near the insect's mouth, and the most anterior of the three pairs of oral appendages (the labrum is more anterior, but is a single fused structure). Their function is typically to grasp, crush, or cut the insect's food, or to defend against predators or rivals. Insect mandibles, which appear to be evolutionarily derived from legs, move in the horizontal plane unlike those of vertebrates, which appear to be derived from gill arches and move vertically. Grasshoppers, crickets, and other simple insects The mouthparts of orthopteran insects are often used as a basic example of mandibulate (chewing) mouthparts, and the mandibles themselves are likewise generalized in structure. They are large and hardened, shaped like pinchers, with cutting surfaces on the distal portion and chewing or grinding surfaces basally. They are usually lined with teeth and move sideways. Large pieces of leaves can therefore be cut and then pulverized near the mout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Largest Insects
Insects, which are a type of arthropod, are the most numerous group of multicellular organisms on the planet, with over a million species identified so far. The title of heaviest insect in the world has many contenders, the most frequently crowned of which is the larval stage of the Goliathus, goliath beetle, ''Goliathus goliatus'', the maximum size of which is at least and . The highest confirmed weight of an adult insect is for a gravid female giant weta, ''Deinacrida heteracantha'', although it is likely that one of the elephant beetles, ''Megasoma elephas'' and ''Megasoma actaeon'', or Goliathus, goliath beetles, both of which can commonly exceed and , can reach a greater weight. The longest insects are the stick insects, see below. Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like Order (biology), order Meganisoptera (also known as griffinflies) such as the Carboniferous ''Meganeura monyi'' and the Permian ''Meganeuropsis permiana'' are the largest insect species ever known. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spermatophores
A spermatophore, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (''spérma''), meaning "seed", and -φόρος (''-phóros''), meaning "bearing", or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially salamanders and arthropods, and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during reproduction. Spermatophores may additionally contain nourishment for the female, in which case it is called a nuptial gift, as in the instance of bush crickets. In the case of the toxic moth ''Utetheisa ornatrix'', the spermatophore includes sperm, nutrients, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids which prevent predation because it is poisonous to most organisms. However, in some species such as the Edith's checkerspot butterfly, the "gift" provides little nutrient value. The weight of the spermatophore transferred at mating has little effect on female reproductive output. Arthropods Spermatophores are the norm in arachnids and several soil arthropods. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuptial Gift
Formally, a nuptial gift is a material presentation to a recipient by a donor during or in relation to sexual intercourse that is not simply gametes in order to improve the reproductive fitness of the donor. Often, such a gift will improve the fitness of the recipient as well. This definition implies neutral gifts, costly gifts and beneficial gifts regarding the fitness of the recipient. Nuptial gifting is at the intersection of sexual selection, nutritional ecology, and life history theory, creating a link between the three. Edible and inedible nuptial gifts Many nuptial gifts are a source of nutrition for the recipient. In many species of animals, including birds, insects, and spiders, this takes the form of a food item that is transferred from a male to a female just prior to copulation. This is a behavior known as courtship feeding. Inedible tokens may include items such as a fragment of leaf or twig, a seed tuft, or a silk balloon. How gifts are received There are thre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sclerite
A sclerite (Greek language, Greek , ', meaning "hardness, hard") is a hardened body part. In various branches of biology the term is applied to various structures, but not as a rule to vertebrate anatomical features such as bones and teeth. Instead it refers most commonly to the hardened parts of arthropod exoskeletons and the internal wikt:spicule, spicules of invertebrates such as certain sponges and Alcyonacea, soft corals. In paleontology, a scleritome is the complete set of sclerites of an organism, often all that is known from fossil invertebrates. Sclerites in combination Sclerites may occur practically isolated in an organism, such as the Stinger, sting of a Conus, cone shell. Also, they can be more or less scattered, such as tufts of defensive sharp, mineralised bristles as in many marine polychaetes. Or, they can occur as structured, but unconnected or loosely connected arrays, such as the mineral "teeth" in the radula of many Mollusca, the Valve (mollusc), valves of chit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
