Summer Fishfly
I found this great big insect lying dead beside the road on July 7, 2016. It was right around 2 inches long, or about the length of my thumb.
We’ve seen one of these before, in a set of pictures that our friend Bob took in 2014. This is a Fishfly, most likely the Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis.
Unfortunately, it was missing both antennae, which are very large and fragile in this species. It was in good condition otherwise, though, so we can get some nice closeup pictures of the head and thorax.
The veining pattern on the wings is similar to that of the Neuroptera (lacewings and antlions), but fishflies are actually in the order Megaloptera along with the dobsonflies and alderflies.
Adults like this one don’t usually feed, as seems likely from looking at its negligible mouthparts. The thin, shriveled abdomen indicates that this one probably had lived long enough to consume most of its body fat, and if a female, had laid her eggs, leaving nothing much besides a long body and large wings.
The larvae are big, aquatic things that are commonly used as fishing bait. The larvae are predatory, and can live in the water for several years.
When the adults lay eggs, they lay them on the leaves of plants that overhang the water, so that when they hatch the young larvae can drop right in. So, I guess if we want to have fishflies in our little lawn-ornament pond, we need to get some overhanging plants in place.
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It’s like something out of a horror movie.