A world checklist of extant and extinct species of Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida)

Abstract

A global synonymical checklist of the species and higher taxa of the insect order Megaloptera is provided. The checklist includes both extant and extinct taxa, and recognizes 2 families, 4 subfamilies, 48 genera, 425 species, and 6 subspecies. Both families (Corydalidae and Sialidae), and three of the four subfamilies (Corydalinae, Chauliodinae, and Sialinae) are known from both extant and extinct species; the Sharasialinae (Sialidae) is entirely extinct. Country-level geographic distribution data are provided for all species and subspecies. Synoptic type data are provided for taxa in the family and genus groups. Summary data are given for the numbers of megalopteran species currently known to occur in each of the major biogeographical regions of the world, and for the world fauna. Increase of knowledge about the diversity of the world Megaloptera fauna is summarized in counts of valid species described per decade and in a global taxonomic description curve. An updated set of keys to the world families, subfamilies, and genera of the Megaloptera is also provided.

Notes on the foraging habits of adult Protohermes dobsonflies (Megaloptera: Corydalidae): Further evidence for anthophilous megalopterans

“…Only two food sources have been reported so far in nature, namely fermented tree sap (the dobsonfly Protohermes grandis (Thunberg), Yoshida et al 1985 Here, we report the adults of P. grandis and the Amami dobsonfly Protohermes immaculatus Kuwayama foraging on flowers at night. Both of these species belong to the Protohermes xanthodes species group (Liu et al 2006), but the former is a temperate Palearctic and the latter is a subtropical Oriental species (Martins et al 2022). Although the results presented here are not necessarily comprehensive or quantitative, they will improve our understanding of the ecology and natural history of adult dobsonflies.…”

“…Adult corydalids are large, impressive insects (Grimaldi & Engel 2005), inhabiting all major biogeographical regions of the world (Martins et al . 2022). Nonetheless, until very recently (Sugiura & Miyazaki 2021), anthophilous species were totally unknown in their natural habitats.…”

“…2019; Martins et al . 2022). Dobsonflies and fishflies are holometabolous, with aquatic larval and terrestrial adult stages.…”

“…2006), but the former is a temperate Palearctic and the latter is a subtropical Oriental species (Martins et al . 2022). Although the results presented here are not necessarily comprehensive or quantitative, they will improve our understanding of the ecology and natural history of adult dobsonflies.…”

“…Corydalidae is one of the two families of Megaloptera. It currently comprises 315 extant species worldwide, belonging to two subfamilies: Corydalinae (commonly known as "dobsonflies") and Chauliodinae ("fishflies") (Rivera-Gasperín et al 2019;Martins et al 2022). Dobsonflies and fishflies are holometabolous, with aquatic larval and terrestrial adult stages.…”