Aquatic Neuroptera (Sisyridae - Spongillaflies) of Michigan

Although Neuroptera is a sizable insect order of about 5000 species, only two families - Nevrorthidae (considered a "basal" family of Neuroptera (Aspöck et al. 2001)) and Sisyridae - have become adapted to an aquatic life phase. Only Sisyridae is found in the Nearctic, and in our area. There are 3 species in 2 genera recorded in Michigan.

Adults lay eggs on vegetation overlying an aquatic body containing freshwater sponges, upon which spongillafly larvae feed by using long stylet mouthparts to pierce and suck out contents. Like Megaloptera, larvae crawl out of the waterbody to create a pupal chamber, and after about 1-2 weeks the adult uses special mouthparts to emerge. Adults usually live about several weeks. More information on biology and ecology: Identification of Michigan Sisyridae.

Climacia MacLachlan 1869

Climacia areolaris (Hagen), 1861 Micromus - Parfin and Gurney 1956
  • Climacia dictyona Needham, 1901
  • Sisyra lampra Navás, 1914

Sisyra Burmeister 1839

Sisyra fuscata (Fabricius), 1793 Hemerobius - UMMZ-Insect Division collection
  • Hemerobius nitidulus Stephens (not Fabricius), 1836
  • Hemerobius confinis Stephens, 1836
  • Sisyra morio Burmeister, 1839
  • Sisyra nigripennis Wesmael, 1841
  • Brachiotoma spongillae Westwood, 1842
  • Hemerobius fumatus Motschulsky, 1853
Sisyra vicaria (Walker), 1853 Hemerobius - UMMZ-Insect Division collection
  • Sisyra umbrata Needham, 1901

References

Aspöck U, Plant JD, Nemeschkal HL. 2001. Cladistic analysis of Neuroptera and their systematic position within Neuropterida (Insecta: Holometabola: Neuropterida: Neuroptera). Systematic Entomology 26: 73-86.
Parfin SI, Gurney AB. 1956. The spongilla-flies, with special reference to those of the Western Hemisphere (Sisyridae, Neuroptera). Proceedings of the United States National Museum 105:421-529.
Peckarsky BL, Fraissient PR, Penton MA, Conklin DJ. 1990. Freshwater macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press: Ithaca, New York.

Page created: November 01, 2002 - Last updated: May 8, 2006 (EB)