Alderflies and Dobsonflies are related to each other, with the Dobsonflies being the larger of the two species. There are 66 species of alderflies in North America and about 300 species worldwide. Females lay eggs near water and the centipede-like larvae live in the water for 1 to 2 years. The larvae then come up on land and live in a pupa stage before going through a metamorphosis to become an adult. Adults have long antennae and long wings with dark veins. The Alderfly and Dobsonfly larvae are important to the ecosystem as they eat aquatic organisms, serve as food for many species of fish, and are used as bait to catch fish. The larvae are nocturnal, can bite humans and do not eat because they spend most of their time mating to create the next generation.