Eastern Dobsonfly (Adult), Hellgrammite (Larva) Corydalus cornutus (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Corydalinae)

Featured Creatures collection was founded in1996, a cooperative venture of the University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology Department and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.  It provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms. 

Like Neuroptera, Megaloptera have chewing mouthparts, long antennae, and two pairs of membranous wings. Both orders have moderate cross-veins forming many rectangular cells, but Megaloptera lack forked veins along the wing margins. Metamorphosis is complete. Dobsonflies are the largest and most common members of this order. 

The Department of Entomology and Nematology maintains tripartite priorities consistent with the mandate given to full-service landgrant universities and associated experiment stations: Research, Extension, and Academics. These programs are facilitated with state funding, extramural contract and grant funding, donations and gifts, and the collaborative efforts of cooperating agencies and institutions. The Department has coordinated faculty efforts and strengths into what could be considered major thrust areas for the Department. These areas of emphasis include: Behavior, Ecology, and Systematics; Biological Control; Medical, Veterinary and Urban Entomology; Nematology; Pest Management; and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Genetics.