Small species of dobsonflies are also called fishflies. Dobsonflies are often confused with a closely related family, the alderflies. The alderfly larva has compound eyes and a central tail filament, while the hellgrammite has simple eyes and short, paired tail filaments. The giant dobsonfly is the largest United States aquatic insect. It occurs in the eastern states. The brownish-green adult of this species is about 7.6 cm (about 3 in) long and has a wingspread of nearly 13 cm (nearly 5 in); the male has slender mandibles that can be up to 2.5 cm (1 in) long.
Scientific classification: Dobsonflies make up the family Corydalidae in the order Megaloptera, which also includes the alderflies. Fishflies belong to the genera Chauliodes, Neohermes, and Nigronia. The giant dobsonfly is named Corydalus cornutus.