Pectinate-antennae
Guides
Brachypsectra
Texas beetle
Brachypsectra is a genus of beetles in the family Brachypsectridae, one of two extant genera in this small elateroid family. Adults are small, light brown beetles with distinctive pectinate antennae in males. The larvae are flattened, ovate predators with branched lateral lobes on thoracic and abdominal segments, historically known as an 'entomological enigma' before their adult form was discovered. The genus occurs in southwestern North America, with larvae found under bark, in leaf litter, and rock crevices.
Chauliodes pectinicornis
Summer Fishfly
Chauliodes pectinicornis, commonly known as the Summer Fishfly, is a species of fishfly in the family Corydalidae native to eastern North America. First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1763, this species has a notably wide distribution across eastern Canada and the United States. A distinctive ecological feature is its commensal relationship with Plecopteracoluthus downesi larvae, which complete their entire life cycle including pupation on the fishfly's mesothorax.
Cladius pectinicornis
bristly rose sawfly
Cladius pectinicornis is a Palearctic sawfly whose larvae are known as bristly rose slugs, significant pests of cultivated roses. The small wasp-like adults exhibit striking sexual dimorphism in antennae structure, with males bearing pectinate (comb-like) antennae. Larvae skeletonize rose leaves by feeding on tissue between vascular bundles, and can cause severe defoliation when abundant. The species has been introduced to North America, where it occurs on both coasts and ranges from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
Corydalidae
Dobsonflies and Fishflies
Corydalidae is a family of large megalopteran insects commonly known as dobsonflies and fishflies. Adults typically exceed 25 mm in body length and possess long filamentous antennae—feathered in male fishflies—and four large, translucent, smoky-grey wings with the anterior pair slightly longer than the posterior. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Corydalinae (dobsonflies), whose males bear distinctive elongated mandibles used in combat, and Chauliodinae (fishflies), whose males have normal mandibles. Aquatic larvae, called hellgrammites, are predatory and possess strong sharp mandibles and abdominal branchial filaments for respiration. They develop over one to three years before leaving water to pupate in terrestrial chambers dug under stones or logs.
Dendroides canadensis
fire-colored beetle, Canada Fire-colored Beetle
Dendroides canadensis, commonly known as the fire-colored beetle or Canada Fire-colored Beetle, is a species in the family Pyrochroidae. Adults range from 7 to 16 mm in length and display distinctive coloration with black head and elytra contrasting with reddish-brown thorax and legs. The species is notable for having both freezing tolerance and freezing susceptibility (supercooling) adaptations, representing the first documented instance of overwintering by switching between these two mechanisms. Larvae inhabit the cambial layer under bark of decaying hardwood logs.
Orthostethus pectinicornis
Orthostethus pectinicornis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The specific epithet "pectinicornis" refers to the comb-like (pectinate) antennae characteristic of males in this species, a trait shared with other members of the genus. Click beetles are named for their ability to right themselves when overturned by flexing a prosternal spine into a mesosternal groove, producing an audible clicking sound and propelling the beetle into the air.
Schizotus
fire-colored beetles
Schizotus is a genus of fire-colored beetles in the family Pyrochroidae, established by Newman in 1838. The genus contains at least three described species distributed across the Palaearctic region. Adults are small beetles, 7–9 mm in length, with distinctive pectinate (comb-like) antennae. Members are associated with dead and decaying wood, where larvae develop beneath loose bark.