American Owlfly vs Small-headed Stonefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute American Owlfly Small-headed Stonefly
Scientific Name Ululodes quadripunctatus Perlodes microcephala
Order Neuroptera Plecoptera
Family Ascalaphidae Perlodidae
Size 20-30 mm body, 50-65 mm wingspan 15-22 mm body
Habitat Meadows Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

American Owlfly

A dragonfly-like neuropteran with split eyes and long knobbed antennae. It catches small insects on the wing during twilight flights.

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Did You Know?

Its eyes are divided into upper and lower halves, allowing it to see both above and below simultaneously.

Small-headed Stonefly

A large spring-emerging stonefly found in clean upland rivers. Nymphs are predatory, feeding on mayfly and midge larvae. An important bioindicator species.

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Did You Know?

Nymphs require the cleanest, most oxygen-rich water of any stonefly, making them sensitive pollution indicators.