What is this huge bug called?
July 14, 2010
What is this crazy looking bug? My mother and I found it on our porch one morning and we have only witnessed one similar bug about a year ago. The bug was found in July, in Reno County of Kansas. It measured close to 5 inches in length, and has what appears to be enormous mandibles protruding from it’s head. At first glance we thought maybe they were stingers of some sort, but when prodded with a stick the bug clamped down with them, leading us to believe they were mandibles, jaws, or pincers of some kind. We would really like to know what type of bug this is, as we don’t see it often, and are curious about it’s living arrangements and what brought it up onto our porch. I was hoping that with a name I could do some online research and learn more about this bug, what i t eats, where it lives, and what it’s life cycle is like. Thanks in advance!
Devin Long and Becky Redden
Buhler, Kansas
Male Dobsonfly
Hi Devin and Becky,
Your photo of a male Dobsonfly on a flyswatter has us terribly amused, probably in part because we were just making some changes to the history of the flyswatter section of our book. Female Dobsonflies have much smaller mandibles. We keep hearing that the male Dobsonfly uses his mandibles in either sparring contests with other males over females, or in the actual mating process, though we have never seen a photo to document either of these activities. Adult Dobsonflies do not feed. It was probably attracted to the porch light.
¶ Posted 15 July 2010 § ‡ ° Bug ID
June 28, 2010
This bug was near our front entrance on our home. We found it curious enough to snap a few pics. My wife and I have never seen one like this in our region and we have both lived in this rural home for nearly 20 years. I grew up very nearby and it is my curiosity that makes me wonder why it is here.
Any assitance appreciated.
Curt in California
Nothern California
Gray Fishfly
Hi Curt,
Your visitor is a Gray Fishfly in the genus Neohermes, probably Neohermes californica. That species is commonly called a California Dobsonfly. You can read a bit more on BugGuide. This should be a local insect for you.
¶ Posted 29 June 2010 § ‡ ° Huge Moth?
June 25, 2010
I found this large moth-like insect while fishing and have never seen anything like it before. I have no clue what it is… but it was found late June close to Ottawa, Ontario.
Tyler
Pakenham, Ontario, Canada
Dobsonfly
Hi Tyler,
We have gotten numerous images of Dobsonflies this year, and many have been of the males which have long saber shaped mandibles. The males are incapable of biting, but females like your specimen, can bite and might even draw blood. Fishermen prize Dobsonfly larvae, known as Hellgrammites, as one of the best live baits.
Dobsonfly
¶ Posted 25 June 2010 § ‡ ° A Dobsonfly
June 14, 2010
Hello, We adopted this beautiful bug over the weekend camping trip. It looked like he was just coming out of a cocoon or ground. his wings were still moist and he could not fly yet. My daughter named him Larry the Lacewing. I checked your site today only to discover he was not a lacewing but a Dobsonfly. This one has a yellow head and mandibles. We found another the next day with brown head and mandibles. Feel free to use the images to show scale. They’re huge!
How you want your letter signed camping along the Delaware
Barryville, NY
Dobsonfly
Your photos are awesome.
Dobsonfly
Comment: For the Love of Dobsonflies
June 14, 2010
Dobson Flies!!!
I am SO excited to see all the dobson fly images being posted recently! About 5 years ago while I lived in Ohio, I came across a male dobsonfly which, not knowing what it was at the time, sparked my interest in the bug world! I have not seen one in person since my sighting 5 years ago, and look forward to the day I come across this magnificent creature again! Since there seem to be SO MANY sightings this year, maybe this is a good sign that I will get my chance! I live in Cleveland Mississippi now, about 2 hours south of Memphis, TN. Do you think I will be able to find one around these parts? Thank you for all the wonderful images, and the great work you do on this site!
Cassie Shaw
Hi Cassie,
Thanks for your enthusiastic letter. Various species of Dobsonflies are found around the world. According to BugGuide, sightings in Mississippi occur … . Hold that thought since BugGuide is not currently available online.
Centipede Perhaps?
June 14, 2010
I am eight years old and I was at a lake and being the bug lover that I am I brought this home. I found this guy under a rock in the water at our town lake. Can anyone tell me what the heck it is? He is really neat. You can see him breathing and everything. He is quite amazing. He has little bushes between his legs that flare out when he breathes. I have tried to do some research on my bug but cant seem to find out much. One article I found was a bug dating back 2,000 years. So I am really interested in finding out what he is.
What to grow up to be a bug man!
Western Colorado
Hellgrammite
Dear future bug man,
This appears to be a Hellgrammite, the larval form of the fearsome Dobsonfly. Adults are harmless, though females may provide a painful pinch, like the larval Hellgrammites. Hellgrammites are a favored live bait for many freshwater anglers.
Update: September 2, 2010
Based on research for a new letter, we should indicate that the Hellgrammite in this photo is probably the Western Dobsonfly, Corydalus texana, a species that ranges west of the Rocky Mountains based on information posted to BugGuide.
Enormous Flying Terror
June 14, 2010
I was outside my apartment in the wee hours of the morning, before sunrise, and as I returned I noticed this enormous eldritch insect god waiting patiently outside my neighbor’s place, possibly in preparation for harvesting my soul for the apocalypse. I am unsure of the dark intent that brings it here, but I am certain that I feel a heavy foreboding over me. It must have been, without exaggeration, no less than five inches in length. I did not kill it, partially out of a deep awe, and partially because I am fairly certain that, in a fair fight, it could take me. What sort of bug is this, and what brings it to this plane of being?
Owner of a Newly-Found Dread
Arlington, TX
Male Dobsonfly
Dear ONFD,
Despite his fearsome appearance, the male Dobsonfly is perfectly harmless. Females have less impressive but more utilitarian mandibles, and they are able to produce a nip that might draw blood. We have been getting numerous requests this spring to identify both the adult Dobsonflies and the equally frightening larvae which are known as Hellgrammites.
¶ Posted 14 June 2010 § ‡ ° Female Dobsonfly?
June 9, 2010
Found this guy on my doorstep this morning. He is about 2 1/2 inches long. Pretty sure it was a male dobsonfly but after looking at your website was wondering if maybe it is not a female….would love to know. Thanks
Melody Fundyk
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Female Dobsonfly
Hi Melody,
You are absolutely correct. You may compare your photo to that of a recently posted male Dobsonfly to see how the mandibles differ between the sexes.
¶ Posted 09 June 2010 § ‡ ° New home – new bugs! – Followup – Male Dobsonfly?
June 8, 2010
OK, 3rd posting to you guys….and I think I finally identified the last bug of the 3 I sent you pictures of last Friday. I had lots of trouble even knowing where to start with this one online because I had no idea even what family to look in. But a photo of a green lacewing looked like maybe the right family, and from there, I found it! A male Dobsonfly, I presume? Lexington Texas…..
Mary Beth Kelley
Lexington, Texas – on screened porch on home near small lake
Male Dobsonfly
Hi Mary Beth,
You are absolutely correct. This is a male Dobsonfly. We have posted numerous images of Dobsonflies on our website in the past few weeks as sightings have been plentiful. We apologize for not responding to your requests, but we are only able to answer a small fraction of the letters we receive. We will see if we can find your other requests in our inbox. Hopefully you signed all your letters similarly.
Thank you, Daniel. I understand you can’t reply to all requests…no problem. I don’t think you need to backtrack to find the other requests – the first one included pictures of 2 different moths, but since I knew what type of bugs those were, I’m pretty sure I nailed them down. Since we’ve recently moved to Lexington Texas from Bee Cave Texas and have a small pond in front of the house, bugs are much more plentiful here than where we used to live, and many of them I’ve never seen before. I’ll try not to “bug” you too much with new requests. Your website is SO helpful, I expect I can find many of them myself….much easier if I can at least guess what type of bug it is…the Dobsonfly had me stumped for several days till I saw a picture of a green lacewing and figured they might be in the same family.
Thanks again for all you do.
¶ Posted 09 June 2010 § ‡ ° 
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