Eastern Dobsonfly

Corydalus cornutus belongs to Corydalidae in Megaloptera. The accepted species is attributed to Linnaeus, 1758. [3]

Males have greatly elongated, sickle-shaped mandibles, while females have short, powerful jaws. Both sexes carry large membranous wings. [2]

Corydalus cornutus occurs in southeastern Canada and the eastern and central United States, extending into the southwestern United States. Its larvae inhabit flowing freshwater. [4][1]

Eggs are laid above water and hatch after approximately one to two weeks. Larvae develop for one to three years before leaving the stream to pupate in a moist terrestrial cell under stones, wood or debris. [1]

Hellgrammites prey on soft-bodied aquatic insects, including immature net-spinning caddisflies and blackflies. [1]

In photographed interactions at a light in Florida’s Osceola National Forest, males fought with their elongated jaws. One male placed his mandibles beneath a rival and flipped it from the collecting sheet. On approaching a female, a male initially contacted her with his antennae, then placed his jaws across her wings perpendicular to her body. [2]

Larvae have paired tufts of tracheal gills on abdominal segments 1–7 and terminal hooks that help anchor the body. Spiracles supplement the gills, permitting respiration in both water and air during the transition out of the stream. [1]

The larval habitat and terrestrial pupation site are connected by a migration out of the water. Mature larvae may travel 15 metres or more before selecting a sheltered, moist place for their pupal cell. [1]