Which insect is in the order Megaloptera and has complete metamorphosis with chewing mouthparts?

• A. Dobsonfly
• B. Dragonfly
• C. European Corn Borer
• D. European Hornet

Answer: (A)

Dobsonflies are in Megaloptera, an order whose members undergo complete metamorphosis and have chewing mouthparts as adults. They begin life as eggs, then develop through aquatic larvae (called hellgrammites), into pupae, and finally into winged adults. This holometabolous life cycle, along with the characteristic chewing mouthparts in adults, is a hallmark of Megaloptera. The other insects listed belong to different orders with different life cycles or mouthpart types: dragonflies are in Odonata and undergo incomplete metamorphosis; the European corn borer is a Lepidoptera with siphoning mouthparts as an adult; the European hornet is a Hymenoptera with a different feeding structure. So the dobsonfly best fits the description.