Basal-metamorphosis
Guides
Megaloptera
alderflies, dobsonflies, fishflies
Megaloptera is a small order of holometabolous insects containing approximately 300 described species across two extant families: Corydalidae (dobsonflies and fishflies) and Sialidae (alderflies). Adults are characterized by large, membranous wings that fold over the abdomen, and many species have short adult lifespans during which they do not feed. Larvae are exclusively aquatic, predatory, and serve as important indicators of stream health due to their sensitivity to pollution. The order was formerly classified within Neuroptera but is now recognized as a distinct order within the superorder Neuropterida.