Sialis lutaria
Encyclopedia
Sialis lutaria is a species of alderfly
belonging to the order Megaloptera
family Sialidae.
This species is mainly present in Austria
, Belgium
, United Kingdom
, Czech Republic
, France
, Germany
, Italy
, Spain
, Poland
, Romania
and Switzerland
.
They have a stocky body with a black or dark brown basic coloration, including head and legs. The wings are greysh, membranous and translucent, with pronounced dark venation. At the rest they are hold roof-like over their body. Adults can reach 20 millimetre (0.78740157480315 in) of length and can mostly be encountered from May through June on vegetation near slow-flowing streams or close to ponds.
The adults are bad fliers and never leave the waters where the larvae have developed. The flat larvae reach approximately 17 millimetre (0.669291338582677 in). They are aquatic predators of small invertebrates and usually wait for their preys in silt or under stones just emerging from the water. The life cycle in this species lasts about one-two years, but the adults live two-three days only, without feeding.
Alderfly
Alderflies are megalopteran insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies and fishflies as well as to the prehistoric Euchauliodidae. All living alderflies - about 66 species altogether - are part of the subfamily Sialinae, which contains between one and seven extant...
belonging to the order Megaloptera
Megaloptera
Megaloptera is an order of insects. It contains the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known species.The Megaloptera were formerly considered part of a group then called Neuroptera, together with lacewings and snakeflies, but these are now generally considered to be...
family Sialidae.
This species is mainly present in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
They have a stocky body with a black or dark brown basic coloration, including head and legs. The wings are greysh, membranous and translucent, with pronounced dark venation. At the rest they are hold roof-like over their body. Adults can reach 20 millimetre (0.78740157480315 in) of length and can mostly be encountered from May through June on vegetation near slow-flowing streams or close to ponds.
The adults are bad fliers and never leave the waters where the larvae have developed. The flat larvae reach approximately 17 millimetre (0.669291338582677 in). They are aquatic predators of small invertebrates and usually wait for their preys in silt or under stones just emerging from the water. The life cycle in this species lasts about one-two years, but the adults live two-three days only, without feeding.