Is this a snakefly?
Location: Sierra Nevada, 5.000 ft. elevation, near Dorrington.
March 10, 2011 7:40 pm
There were LOTS of these flying around our cabin in the Sierra last summer. In looking at your site, I noticed that, aside from the large arms by the head, it closely resembles a mantisfly. In another post, it also appears to be much like the snakefly photos, but this one is probably a bit longer at 1-3/4 inches. Not knowing what it was (and this was the first time I’d seen them up there despite our having been going to the same spot for 30+ years), we dubbed it the ”Loch Ness Fly”.
Signature: Typeaux
Snakefly
Dear Typeaux,
You are correct. This is a Snakefly. Insects are frequently prone to cyclical appearances. They won’t be seen for years and suddenly there is a population explosion.
¶ Posted 11 March 2011 § ‡ ° bug identification request
Location: Manteca, California
November 28, 2010 4:19 am
We’ve found this bug 3 times now – twice on the bed and once in the garage (which is directly below our bedroom). Haven’t been able to find a picture of it anywhere – I hope you can tell us what this thing is! It’s about half an inch long and can move very quickly. The first one my husband saw went in a sandwich bag to try and get identified – I was very surprised that it’s still alive a week later – no food, no air, no water.
Thanks for your efforts – looking forward to your answer.
Signature: Brenda W.
Snakefly Larva
Dear Brenda,
The beneficial and harmless Snakefly Larva you have imprisoned in a plastic bag would be much better off if you released it where you found it. According to BugGuide: “Both larvae and adults are predatory, though they are capable of catching and killing only small and weak prey. Snakefly larvae feed on eggs and larvae of various insects, as well as adults of minute arthropods (e.g. mites, springtails, barklice, and homopterans). Adults typically prefer aphids but may eat a wide variety of arthropods. Adults take efforts to clean themselves after feeding. Females have been observed to ‘have a curious habit of frequently wagging their ovipositor during the process of eating, as though expressing satisfaction with the food.’ [pg. 104, Carpenter, 1936]“
¶ Posted 28 November 2010 § ‡ ° Inchworm ant?
Location: Davis, California
November 17, 2010 8:21 pm
Hello, I found this really strange bug in my bathroom last night. It was about an inch long and really aggressive! I tried to catch it in a cup and it started biting it. It ran away from the cup when I tried to sneak up on it and zipped away like an inchworm! I’ve never seen anything like it. It had 6 legs and a really long abdomen… any idea what it could be? Thanks!
Signature: confused student
Snakefly Larva
Dear confused student,
You have had an encounter with the Larva of a Snakefly. These predators, despite their aggressive behavior, are perfectly harmless. Snakeflies belong to the family Raphidiidae and you can compare your image to a photograph we found on BugGuide.
¶ Posted 18 November 2010 § ‡ ° What is this one???
April 12, 2010
Hi, I hope al is well I sent a message a week ago. But, did not get response regarding a bug that I am trying to identify? Is this a Mantis or a Termite
Vicente
Thousand Oaks (Southern California)
Snakefly
Hi Vicente,
This is neither a mantis nor a termite. It is a beneficial predator known as a Snakefly in the order Raphidioptera. This is a male because a curiously long ovipositor is absent. BugGuide has numerous photos of Snakeflies.
¶ Posted 12 April 2010 § ‡ ° Weird Flying Insect
Tue, May 12, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I was in Reseda, California on Sunday which is in Los Angeles and a strange bug caught my eye. It landed on a bright pink table cloth and started walking around. i noticed it’s long stinger and pattern on it’s wings and quickly grabbed a camera, It did not mind me coming in close, so I shot a few images.
It may be very common, but I have not seen anything like it before. What is it?
My kids would like to know too 
Thanks
Joel Lipton
Los Angeles, Ca
Snakefly
Hi Joel,
What a wonderful photo of a Snakefly in the order Raphidioptera. The subject has such personality. These are very distinctive insects and they are not easily confused with anything else. Your female has a stinger-like ovipositor.
¶ Posted 12 May 2009 § ‡ ° Long neck, not a mantis?
Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Stanford university, tall grass, mixed oak woodland, middle of a hot spring day. On my leg, probably from the grass.
Dave H
Palo Alto, Ca, USA
Snakefly
Hi Dave,
This is the third Snakefly image we have posted from California in a short period of time. Perhaps it is a more plentiful year for this harmless predator, or perhaps people are just more closely observing the other creatures we share this troubled world with.
¶ Posted 20 April 2009 § ‡ ° Jaws of a beatle, wings of a cicda, and a needle like tail?
Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I happened to notice something in my door jamb so I grabbed my camera a took a couple of photos. I didn’t mess with it because it looked like it could bite or sting me, lol. I live in Concord, CA and there is an abundence of insects that I have never seen. This being the most interesting one I’ve ever seen. I hope the image will provide enough info for you.
Thank you so much for looking, Brodie
Northern California Concord, CA
Snakefly
Hi Brodie,
This is a female Snakefly in the order Raphidioptera. Snakeflies are harmless predators and the stinger is actually the ovipositor of the female insect.
¶ Posted 09 April 2009 § ‡ ° Unknown Northern California Bug
Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Hello. We live in Palo Alto, CA and have recently stumbled across this ugly bug. It is approximately an inch long, has what looks like a stinger, long wings, and a long neck. My husband thought it might be a sort of baby praying mantis, but after looking at it longer, we agree it must be something else. Does it sting is my question. We recently had a really bad gnat problem on our balcony and I feel like these bugs are living off of the dead gnats. Here is a picture, I hope it helps!
Concerned Stanford Family.
Palo Alto, California, USA
Snakefly
Dear Family,
There is no cause for concern or alarm. This is a Snakefly in the insect order Raphidioptera. Both larval and adult Snakeflies are predators so they are beneficial insects. The “stinger” is actually the ovipositor of the female insect, and is used in the egg laying process. It is not an organ of defense and the Snakefly does not sting.
¶ Posted 06 April 2009 § ‡ ° 
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