Pair of Dobsonflies!!!
(06/29/2005)
What type of bug is this?
Hi. I was wondering if you could help identify these bugs
for me. I live in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, about
45 miles west of Scranton. Based on the difference in body
sizes and how the pinchers look I’m guessing that they’re
most likey a male and a female. The one with the long crossed
pinchers is about four inches long (from the end of the wings
to the end of the pinchers), with two inch antennae and one
inch pinchers. The one with the short pinchers is about three
inches long, with one inch antannae and maybe 1/4 inch pinchers.
They’re both very docile and didn’t try to fly away when I
had them in the tupperware with the lid off.
Thanks!
Ben
A Pair of Dobsonflies
Hi Ben,
We have been getting plenty of Dobsonfly photos lately and
when they are in season, we always try to keep a photo on
our homepage. We currently have several that you would have
seen had you scrolled down a bit. Your photo is exquisite
and will have a permanent spot at the top of our Dobsonfly
page. Your are correct in that they are male and femaLe of
the same species and the male has the long mandibles.
new bug
I found this guy very early this AM about 5:25 on my morning walk. I had to put him in a paper towel to bring him home as he has nasty large pinchers. Look at how he is pinching the paper towel, I’m glad that wasn’t my fingers. Anyways, I looked on the web to see what kind of a bug he is and the closest I can find is a dobsonfly, snakefly and a fishfly, but yet he doesn’t look quite like them and he seems bigger than they are? I’m going to send a pix into the "what kind of bug is this" website and see what they say. I brought him home and put him in the fridg, they get cold and can’t move then you can take pix of them. 
found that out the with moths, they become quite docile when cold.
Judy Schrader
Wildlife Paintings and Nature Art
Hi Judy,
You are a tricky photographer. You don’t have a guy, but a gal. You have a female Dobsonfly. We linked to your site so people can see your fabulous artwork.
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Posted 29 June 2005
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what is this?
I live in Elkhart Indiana ; I found this in a park in Goshen Indiana & I couldn’t find anything on the net about it, what could this be. Obviously it dead, we couldn’t keep it alive. I like your site, keep it up.
Joe McKalips
Hi Joe,
This is the second Dobsonfly Pupa photo we got in two days. It is dormant and will emerge, probably very soon. The adults are quite frightening looking.
Frightening larva thing…
Hi!
First, wonderful site. Keep up the good work, and all that. OK, so, the bug: My nephew found it under some rotten wood near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, the other day. My sister saved the little guy from becoming fishing bait, and brought it to me ("Happy Birthday!"). My nephew said that there was what appeared a shed "skin" next to it when he found it, and it was a pale off-white when caught (it’s since turned brownish, as you can see.) It looks dead in the photos, but it is alive, and will squirm around if bothered. It’s legs don’t seem to be usable, however, and remain tucked under it’s body, as do it’s wings. So, do you know what it is? And do you have any ideas of how I can help it survive? Would it be best just to put it under a rotting log, or…? Anyways, thanks a lot.
Will Anderson, MN, USA
Hi Will,
You have a Dobsonfly Pupa. If you think it is scary looking now, just check out the adult males with pincer mandibles by using our brand new site search engine.
Hi… Hah! Oh, no. Thanks. When I showed some friends your site, they pointed out the dobsonflies and said “Jesus, I hope it’s not one of those!” Muahahaha. You wouldn’t happen to have any tips on care, would you? I’ve got it in a little cage now, with moist dirt and some of the wood it was found in. Should I bury it, or do you think out in the open is ok? I had it under a bit of wood, but it was across the cage in the morning. Oh, and it doesn’t need to eat, does it? Thanks again,
Will
Strangest bug I have ever seen
I really enjoy your website and discovering what others have discovered until I found my own unique insect. I have no clue as to what this may be. I have researched through many sites and have not found an exact match. Can you help??
Thanks
Rich – Maryland
Hi Rich,
Just this morning we removed a photo of a male Dobsonfly from our homepage since we got a female. They exhibit sexual dimorphism which manifests itself in the jaw structure. The males have pincers like your example, and females have smaller but more robust mandibles. We have an entire Dobsonfly page with many photos.
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Posted 27 June 2005
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dobson
Hi there,
I love your site. I took this photo of a dobson fly in Perry County, PA, this past weekend. Use it if you wish or toss it out.
Galen Kreiser
Hi Galen,
Thanks for the compliment, and we love your photo of a female Dobsonfly.
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Posted 26 June 2005
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Hellgramites
Hello,
I know I just emailed you about a wasp but I was reading your hellgramite section and was thinking that you might think of warning novice fisherman about those pincers. My husband and I love to fish (he handles the bait… yes I am too squeamish, and in the case of hellgramites, I am afraid of being pinched!). Whenever we catch hellgramites for bait, he always takes a pair of pliers and snaps off the business end of those pincers before attempting to use them as bait. He neglected to do so once… I have never heard him yell so loud! I laughed so hard I could hardly fish (at the time it was hilarious). I thought that people who aren’t familiar with using hellgramites as bait but would like to try it might want this useful tidbit of information.
Mande Hyre
Hey, I saw this in my mom’s garden today and I promptly ran in and googled on the expression "what kind of bug is that" – and I ended up at your site and I learned it was a dobsonfly. W00t! Anyway, this fellow was maybe 7" from jaw-tip to wing-tip and the antenna were 6" across. He was spotted in Stowe, Pennsylvania, which is in the south eastern part of the state.
Michael
Hi Michael,
I guess we chose our site’s name wisely. We have always maintained that everyone wants to know “What’s That Bug?” Glad we could be helpful. Your photo is pretty impressive.
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Posted 19 June 2005
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Alien Bug!!
I found this bug this morning, on the floor at the injection mold facility where I work, near Charlotte, North Carolina. I’d love to know what it is.
Amy Layton
Hi Amy,
This is our first Dobsonfly photo of the year. People are always amazed seeing them for the first time. Your specimen is a male because of the very large mandibles. Females, though they have smaller mouthparts, are better capable of biting, but both are harmless. We have an entire Dobsonfly page as well as a Hellgrammite page (larval form). Click those links in the alphabatized list on the left of the www.whatsthatbug.com homepage for more photos and information.
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Posted 14 June 2005
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What kind of bug is this?
What kind of bug is this? It was 2 inches in length.
Thanks!
Craig Vallelunga
Hi Craig,
What a puny specimen of a Dobsonfly you saw. Yours is a female recognizeable by her smaller mandibles. Check out our Dobsonfly page for some photos of behemoths.
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Posted 11 June 2005
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the strangest bug i’ve ever seen in my life!
I was hiking at McConell’s Mills in Western Pennsylvania and happened across this bug sitting in the middle of the street. It appears to me to be some sort of beetle larva, but it’s SO big. It also had this fancy move it did when we touched its head with a stick – it would curl its tail under [which was soft like a catepillar's body] to quickly launch itself backward a few inches. Here it is pictured with my boyfriend’s finger [who, for scale, is 6'4"]. And here is another better picture of its face. I also have a video i took of it walking and doing its cool backwards launch maneuver, which you can have if you’re interested. PLEASE tell us what kind of bug this is. We’re absolutely dying to know. I almost regret not taking it home with me! I just hope it didn’t wander back into the middle of the road. Thanks!
Jen and Glenn
ps. We also found a bunch of these really pretty red and black millipedes, which i’ve included a picture of. They were about 4 inches long.
Hi Jen and Glenn,
You have just encounted a Hellgrammite, the larval form of the Dobsonfly. These curious larvae are prized by fishermen as bait.
Strange and fierce bug
We found this on our window sill the other day here in San Salvador. Can you help me identify it? I’ve never seen anything like it.
Thanks,
Scotty
Hi Scotty,
You have an impressive specimen of a male Dobsonfly. I don’t know the exact species as I am only familiar with the species found in the continental U.S. We have gotten reports of male Dobsonflies that reach four inches in length. The males have the scary looking pincher jaws, but the smaller mandibles on the female are more capable of delivering a bite.
Thanks for the information. We do run across all sorts of strange stuff here that we can’t identify. Since we live up in a coffee plantation both my wife and I have been bitten by scorpions. Talk about a pop. The Dobsonfly that we had was the length of a key. I’ll forward you another photo that shows his size. Again, thanks for the help.
Scotty
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Posted 18 December 2004
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