What’s this bug?
Location: North Georgia mountain town of Ellijay GA
August 20, 2011 7:01 pm
I live in the north georgia town of Ellijay.
What’s this cute guys name?
Thanks
Gerry Fazzari
Signature: best regards
Male Dobsonfly
Hi Gerry,
This magnificent insect is a male Dobsonfly. Female Dobsonflies have much less prominent mandibles. We are quite certain that your photo will give nightmares for weeks to come to a few folks visiting our website for the first time to get some “huge” home intruder identified. They will probably also experience a sense of relief that their earwig or ground beetle is nothing compared to what they grow in Georgia (and many other parts of eastern North America).
2
¶ Posted 22 August 2011 § ‡ ° evening visitor
Location: Putnam County, NY
August 9, 2011 7:55 am
Hi,
This fellow was flying around in our house on two successive evenings. Caught him last night to examine him. Has wings like a dragonfly and a body unlike a dragonfly.
I live in lower NY state, Putnam County.
Signature: Jude
Summer Fishfly
Hey Jude,
This is a Summer Fish Fly, Chauliodes pectinicornis, and it can be distinguished from the similar looking but even larger Eastern Dobsonfly by the pectinate or combed antennae.
¶ Posted 09 August 2011 § ‡ ° Mystery Bug
Location: Shingle Springs, CA
August 6, 2011 3:52 am
I just moved to the country, and the first thing I’ve noticed is this huge bug that looks like a mutated dragonfly. I’ve trying searching images for it but I really had no where to begin. So here is a nice close up picture for you in the hopes you will know!
Signature: Niki
California Dobsonfly
Hi Niki,
This is a California Fishfly, Neohermes californicus, which Charles Hogue refers to as the California Dobsonfly in his book Insects of the Los Angeles Basin. You can see some additional photos on BugGuide as well as on CalPhotos. BugGuide provides additional information on the genus info page. Charles Hogue indicates that it is a stream loving species with aquatic larvae that are adapted to going dormant during dry periods.
¶ Posted 06 August 2011 § ‡ ° Large Transparent winged Moth
Location: Bedford, Nova scotia, Canada
July 23, 2011 1:31 pm
Saw this one last night when the light in my porch attracted it. Thought it was a huge mosquito first, but see the moth like antanae in the photo. Body length about 4-5cm, quite large. Wings transparent. Never seen one like this before.
Signature: Wildlife Sightings, junponline.com
Summer Fishfly
Dear Wildlife Sightings,
You have sighted a Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis. You can find information on the species on bugguide. The pectinate antennae do resemble those of a moth.
¶ Posted 23 July 2011 § ‡ ° Flying teeth
Location: North East, Maryland
July 22, 2011 11:45 am
Summer time, about 95 degrees out on a clear day and this beast was waiting for me outside my door in the morning. It’s nearly 3” long from teeth to end of wings and it looked to have 6 legs. Unknown what under the wings looks like. With a jaw like that I didn’t bother to press my luck!
Signature: plez
Female Dobsonfly
Dear plez,
This is a female Dobsonfly, and while she has no venom or poison, you are probably correct that a bite might hurt and possibly even draw blood. The male of the species has even more impressive mandibles, however, they are not designed for biting as those of the female are designed.
2
¶ Posted 22 July 2011 § ‡ ° help identifying an insect
Location: Owen Sound, Ontario
July 18, 2011 1:27 am
I think this is a Dobsonfly but I’m not entirely sure i found it around 1AM on a warm summer night
Signature: kyle
Fishfly
Hi Kyle,
Dobsonflies are in the insect order Megaloptera which also contains Fishflies and Alderflies. This is a Fishfly. They can be distinguished from Dobsonflies by their antennae.
¶ Posted 20 July 2011 § ‡ ° JHU bug
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
July 19, 2011 8:48 am
Hi,
We spotted this HUGE about –5 inches long — insect on the Johns Hopkins Campus in Baltimore, Maryland. The date is July 19. No one has ever seen such a bug! We hope it did not escape from a lab.
We still have too many stinkbugs in MD! Thanks for your help.
Signature: Pma J
Male Dobsonfly
Dear Pma J,
You have encountered a male Dobsonfly, and it is a native local insect for you. The female has considerably smaller mandibles.
Thanks so much!
Everyone in the office is happy to know that it’s a local bug!
I’m glad that people left it alone.
People get so freaked out by a large insect.
– Pam
¶ Posted 20 July 2011 § ‡ ° Scary Az Bug
Location: Fossil Creek Az
July 18, 2011 5:41 pm
We found this bug it’s body was about 3 inches long about a 4-5 inch wingspan and scary as hell looking. Found it in Fossil Creek az. Any idea?? Thanks Jason
Signature: none
Dobsonfly
Dear none,
This is a Dobsonfly, and based on your Arizona location, it is one of the three Western species. We hope you were fishing and that you used this female Dobsonfly as bait, thus explaining the fishhook through her body. Hellgrammites, the larvae of Dobsonflies, are a favorite bait among fishermen.
Dobsonfly impailed on a fishhook
¶ Posted 18 July 2011 § ‡ ° 
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