Alderflies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Insects with long thread-like antennae and two pairs of wings, belonging to the order Megaloptera, found near streams and lakes
2. Aquatic or semi-aquatic insects characterized by elongated antennae and two pairs of membranous wings, commonly seen near freshwater habitats
3. Insects of the order Megaloptera featuring prominent antennae and two functional wings, with aquatic larvae that hunt in streams and ponds

Etymology: Alderflies is the plural of "alderfly," an insect in the order Megaloptera whose larvae live in streams and ponds. The name is a compound of "alder," the tree, and "fly." The adult insects are often found near alder trees and waterside vegetation, and the compound reflects that association rather than any link to the tree's wood or leaves. "Alder" comes from Old English "alor" or "alr," a word that goes back to a Germanic root shared with German "Erle," and it entered the language long before the insect was named. "Fly" is an older Old English word, "flēoge," and in English compounds it has long been used loosely for many small winged insects, so "alderfly" is a straightforward descriptive coinage of the kind English produced freely for natural history. The exact date the insect name was first recorded is uncertain to me.

Synonyms: alderfly