Winged bug on our yard
August 19, 2009
This morning my boys found this winged bug crawling on the grass. We know it must fly because of it’s wings, but it has just been crawling around. We found it in the morning just after the sun came into the yard. It appears to have pincers on its head and rears up when we get near it. Any help would be great! Thanks!
Stacey
Abancay, Peru (Andes mtns-approx 8,000ft)

Dobsonfly from Peru

Hi Stacey,
If you run into our co-workers from LACC, two hot American college professors named Sharon and Naima who are vacationing in the Andes, please say “hola” for us.  This is an awesome looking Dobsonfly in the family Corydalidae, but we haven’t a clue what species it is.  We suspect it is a female Dobsonfly as males have much more formidable mandibles.

Dobsonfly from Peru

Your photos are all so dramatic, we are going to post all three.

Dobsonfly from Peru

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What’s this bug I found?
August 9, 2009
I found this bug in my tool box at work. It was a very week flyer. I placed the corner of a newspaper near its mouth and it bit into it. The jaws were like a big ant.
Scott A. E. (ed. note:  surname withheld to prevent positive identification and potential public ridicule)
Niagara Falls, NY

Summer Fishfly Impaled

Dear Scott,
This is a Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis.  According to BugGuide, the species name pectinicornis means comb-horned and refers to the antennae which are quite different from the similar looking though considerably larger Dobsonfly. We doubt that you are beginning an insect collection as the object that has impaled this Summer Fishfly does not appear to be an entomologist specimen pin.  This is speculation on our part, but we suspect this living Summer Fishfly was impaled to keep if from escaping so that it could be photographed, and it might have still been alive when the photo was taken.  In our minds (and perhaps also the minds of some of our readership) this would constitute Unnecessary Carnage.  We have taken the liberty of editing your surname from our posting in the event that friends and acquaintances of yours happen to read this posting since we are being careful about defamation of character. Other than to say that the jaws of the Summer Fishfly bit into a newspaper, you did not indicate that you were threatened by it, and since Summer Fishflies are perfectly harmless, we feel that there was no need to kill this insect.

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Spiral antennae, brown body, yellow fangs, half inch tall
July 31, 2009
I was outside playing with my kids and happened to glance over at my husband’s truck and saw this bug. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life and I’m very curious to know what it is. I’m not going to lie, I was very afraid to get too close so I am hoping that my picture is clear enough to see details. The bug is probably a half an inch tall, brown with some yellow, and appears to have a hard shell.
Stephanie
Syracuse, New York

Summer Fishfly: Disembodied Head

Hi Stephanie,
This is the disembodied head of a Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis, which may be matched to an image on BugGuide.  The form of the pectinate antennae indicate that this was a male Summer Fishfly.  How it was disembodied is a curious question, and we suspect a predator like a bird or bat made a snack of the nutritious body.  Summer Fishflies have long bodies and an impressive wingspan.  What you saw only represents about 15% to 20% of the entire insect length.

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Unknown Bug From San Diego County
July 28, 2009
Found this Bug on the side of a shaded rock adjacent to perrenial creek with a really low water flow. Found it during the day on July 20. When I approached it to photograph it it did not move away at all.
Frank Santana
Boulder Creek, San Diego California

California Dobsonfly

Hi Frank,
Our reference book, Insects of the Los Angeles Basin by Charles Hogue, identifies this as a California Dobsonfly, Neohermes californicus.  This is a distinct genus from the eastern Dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus, which is a much larger insect and can be viewed on our site as well as on BugGuide.  Your specimen is classified on BugGuide as a Gray Fishfly in the genus Neohermes, but there is no page devoted to Neohermes californicus.  There is an acknowledgment on the genus page that the species Neohermes californicus is known as the California Dobsonfly.  We provide this background information because when we did a web search of California Dobsonfly, we found some wonderful images on BugGuide that referenced out own website as a source.  Interestingly, those photos from El Dorado County in northern California were taken the same day as your photo.  Since it is not terribly professional to cite oneself when doing research, we wanted more assurance that we could properly identify your impressive creature.  So, for clarification, your insect is Neohermes californicus, a Gray Fishfly sometimes called the California Dobsonfly.

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