Can you identify this insect?
Hi bugman,
I’m trying to identify this very large bug that I spotted this morning. It is about 3 1/2" to 4" long and the picture was taking in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I lived in the area for over 50 years and don’t recall seeing anything like it before. I tried searching the web and came across your site and thought you might be able t help. When touched it reared its head up and opened what look like pincers but did not take flight. Regards,
Glenn
Hi Glenn,
This is a male Dobsonfly. It was our featured Bug of the Month for June because we get many more identification requests earlier in the summer.
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Posted 23 August 2006
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this bug… what is it??
Hi, I found this bug outside and it was dead when I found it. It was just so strange I put it in a container and too pics of it. I can’t seem to find anything like it on the internet. I put some pictures of it in the email, but here’s the facts you might not be able to tell by the pics. It has small eyes, 6 legs that are NOT bent back like a grasshopper… They’re all down and pretty short. It has a wierd pincher thing on it’s butt… I don’t know if that’s for mating or what. It has hard tusk like things coming off it’s face. I’m not sure if they’re antenna but then it has another set of antenna on its head. It has I THINK 2 sets of wings. I could only see 2 wings, but my cousin picked up the bug and said he thought there was another set of wings under the ones we can see. If you can help me PLEASE tell me what this thing is. If you’re not the one that can ID it, please pass it on to who can. Thank you very much,
Andrea
Hi Andrea,
It is so daring of you to serve up this male Dobsonfly for Dinner before you even knew what it was and if it was edible. We already have the larval form, known as Hellgrammites, on our edible insect page, and now we will add your toothsome specimen to that page as well.
big bug
Hi I found this bug at work in Southern New Hampshire. Any idea what it is? It’s about 4 inches in length.
Jason French
Hi Jason,
Whenever we get a letter like yours in the summer, we take bets on it being a Dobsonfly. In your case, we were correct, a male Dobsonfly.
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Posted 03 August 2006
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What the bug???
I found this guy hanging in the shade. Makes me want to reconsider my affinity for bare-footin! I showed the picture to my dad and he thinks it looks like a gi-mungus termite??? He’s 2+ inches long and bark colored… The closest thing I found on the interned was a "Devil’s Coach Horse? But this guy’s got wings? I’m located in Southeast Pennsylvania. Help? What’s the bug? Thanks,
Jonzy
Skippack, PA
aka- Home of the industrial sized insects!
Hi Jonzy,
If you think your female Dobsonfly is large and impressive, just check out the jaws on the much larger male Dobsonfly we just posted to our site.
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Posted 03 August 2006
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identification
Hello,
We just found this bug on our loading dock. Its total length must be at least 3-4 inches. I think some of our interns were sufficiently freaked out upon first glance. Could you tell me what kind of insect this is (see attached image)? I do not think I have ever come across a bug like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jamie
James W. Draper
Registrar
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Grand Rapids, MI
Hi Jamie,
This is a male Dobsonfly. He is harmless. We had two photos on our homepage at the time you wrote in, including the Bug of the Month for June. We can’t imagine how you missed identifying the Dobsonfly yourself.
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Posted 06 July 2006
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Unknown critter
We recently found this attached to a wall outside our apt in Pennsylvania. It is appx 5 inches long, pinchers or what appear to be pinchers are about an inch long, Antenna are about 2 inches long and it has 6 legs. Could you possibly tell me what this bug is and where it is usually found?
Thank you
Mike
Hi Mike,
This is a male Dobsonfly. The Dobsonfly was featured at the top of our homepage as the Bug of the Month for June. Now readere will have to scroll down to find it. We always try to keep seasonal sitings posted on our homepage. More information and images can be found on our Dobsonfly page. Just click the link on the left column of the www.whatsthatbug.com homepage.
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Posted 02 July 2006
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what is this bug?
Hi, I found this bug outside my apartment in Athol, Massachusetts. I’ve never seen anything like it! What is it?
Melissa Paige
Hi Melissa,
Why, it’s our featured Bug of the Month, a Dobsonfly. Your specimen is a female.
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Posted 26 June 2006
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really nice dodsonfly photo
Great page ! Here is a nice pic of a Dobsonfly I took in Cincinnati Ohio on 6/25/2006. He is missing a feeler. Pic is large but shows great detail.
Thanks for sending in your photo of a male Dobsonfly.
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Posted 25 June 2006
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Fish fly?
Dear Bugman,
From the pictures in you site I believe this is a Fish Fly. I found it in my living room watching the soccer game. Since it seemed very comfortable and was not moving much I decided to take the time to take some close-ups. Found in Lexington, MA
Regards,
Jaime
Hi There Jaime,
Dobsonflies and Fishflies both belong to the order Megaloptera along with Alderflies. Further classification puts the Dobsonflies and Fishflies in the Family Corydalidae and Fishflies are in the genus Chauliodes. This is a Fishfly
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Posted 23 June 2006
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5 inches long with wings, and maybe pinchers??
We found this on the top of our garage. It’s about 5 inches long, kind of reminds me of a cicada(sp?) but is bigger than those I’ve seen … and looks like it has pinchers of some kind. I didn’t see one on your site and was wondering if you know what it is? I know you’re very busy but if it fits in your schedule, we’d love some help identifying it. Thank you,,
Hilary Evans
Hi Hilary,
We are very surprised that we haven’t gotten more requests this year for Dobsonflies. June and July are generally our peak months for sightings. Male Dobsonflies have those signature mandibles that make it virtually impossible to confuse this species to any other.
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Posted 16 June 2006
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Dobson fly
Based on other photos on you site I believe this is a photo of a Dobson fly. Am I correct? This Insect was photographed near the Hiawasse river in Murphy NC.
Thanks.
Richard
Hi Richard,
Yes, this is a male Dobsonfly. Despite those formidible looking jaws, he is harmless. Now that summer is arriving, we expect to get many queries targeting the Dobsonfly. Fishermen use the equally fearsome appearing larvae, known as Hellgrammites, as bait. Your photo is marvelous, and we have decided to feature it near the top of our webpage for the entire month.
What in the world is this thing??
My mom and I were camping in central Texas. The camp isn’t finished yet, so although they have a shower house, there isn’t a roof. The lights were on so of course there were a multitude of books. When I opened the door, I saw this BUG with the biggest pinchers I’ve ever seen. The bug itself has a three section body approx 3 inches long, lacey wings and pinchers approx an inch long. He took one look at me and raised his head and started clacking his pinchers together. I ran!! I did go back and turned off the lights, setting my lantern by the door away from the shower so all the bugs would go to the light. After showering, I opened the shower curtain and there he was waiting on me, raising his head and clacking his pinchers again. I’d like to know what I’m running from.
Thanks
Nora
Hi Nora,
That male Dobsonfly won’t hurt you. The females with much smaller mandibles can nip painfully. We should be getting many more Dobsonfly images in the coming months, but yours is on the advanced guard.
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Posted 10 June 2006
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