Larvae found in basement
I don’t know what kind of larvae this is but I never saw one quite so big. He is about 4 inches long and about ? inch thick. I live in South Central Pennsylvania USA. I am near water if that helps. This guy was crawling along my basement floor and I thought maybe you would know what he turns into or what he is? Thanks,
John

Hi John,
You have discovered a Hellgrammite, the larval form of a Dobsonfly.

weird bug
Hi I took a picture of this strange bug in southern Peru (near Machu Picchu). My professor says it is a rove beetle, but I think it moved in an "inch worm" fashion, so I am not convinced. What do you think?
Heather

Hi Heather,
We would love to know what the locals in Peru call the Hellgrammite, the larva of a Dobsonfly.

Active Dobsonfly Pupa
Hello again, Bugman!
I decided to keep my hellgramite. It is enjoying its indoor pupal chamber quite well. It has begun to pupate, but becomes very active when I lift the flat rock it’s under to check on it. Do you think it will hatch into adulthood before winter hits? Thank you!
Emily

Hi Emily,
Thanks for sending us documentation of your Hellgrammite’s metamorphosis. We aren’t really sure how long the pupa stage lasts.

please identify this bug
Please identify this bug. We saw it on a bike path next to the New River in Virginia today.
Ashby Hopkins

Here are more pictures. I thought it might be a Coach Beetle at first, but it did not have long antenae. Thank you,
Jim Hopkins

Hi Ashby and Jim,
This is a Hellgrammite, the aquatic larva of the Dobsonfly. The winged adult males have frighteningly large mandibles, but they are docile and harmless. The females, on the other hand, will use their smaller mandibles to bite, but a harmless pinch is all that will result.

A bug I caught
Hello,
My name is Josh, I will attach a picture of a bug that I found this weekend while walking down the side walk, it was in the area of Ceder Falls Iowa, I was with in less than a 1/4 mile of a river and the area I found it in is a little bit swampy as well, I am wondering if you could tell me what kind of bug it is? the first picture of it is sitting on the ground, the next it is hanging from a stick by it’s jaws, in the second picture of it you can see the bottom of it, thanks again, and I’ll await your response,
Josh

Hi Josh,
The Hellgrammite is the larval form of the equally fierce-looking, winged Dobsonfly.

Menacing Bug
My kids and I found these bugs in a damp, walking tunnel in Central Wisconsin. They were 3-4 inches long and had big, sharp pinchers that they used violently to defend themselves. They are very prehistoric looking. My guess is that it is some type of larvae. What are these, and are they usually lightning fast and deadly poisonous (LOL)?
Thank you,
Tom Curiouski

Hi Tom,
If you think the Hellgrammite is frightening, you should see the adult male winged Dobsonfly. Both larvae and adults are harmless. Hellgrammites are a choice bait for fishermen.

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

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.

Hi!
I live in Austin, Texas and just found this nasty looking bug outside on my patio, clinging to the wall in the early morning below my porch light.
It has a large set of mean-looking pincers on the front of the head. The forward half of the body is dark, and the rear half is light tan and caterpillar-looking. I had to take the picture through the yogurt jar I captured him in. He is about 3.5 inches long.
I leave most outdoor bugs alone but was concerned that if I ran across him later accidentally, I might get a nasty bite. He aggressively threatened me as I repositioned the jar to get the photo.
If anybody wants him, come and get him!
Thanks!
Patty Pritchett


Dear Patty,
He is beautiful. He is an adult Dobson Fly, the larvae of which are known as Hellgrammites. The male has the formidable jaws which are used during the mating ritual in what humans might consider spousal abuse. They will not harm humans. We have additional information on our site.