What bug is this?

Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
10,394
0622002024.jpg


I'm curious. Anyone know? It's not a praying mantis. About 3" long, 5" wingspan, thick body, pincers, and "fangs." This is what I was told at least. :)
 
Someone will be by shortly far more useful than me in answering the question...that I know. I'm curious myself!
 
It is a Dobsonfly, and it looks like a female. The male has pincers almost as long as its body.
 
It is a Dobsonfly, and it looks like a female. The male has pincers almost as long as its body.

Ahh...I have encountered their larval stage, the hellgrammite, many times while looking for crayfish. They make great (and I mean great) fishing bait!
 
This is awesome! Years ago while driving late night near Canyon Lake, TX., I stopped at a gas station. One of these lay freshly dead on the tarmac. I'd never seen anything like it; HUGE, weird, and scary looking. I've always wondered what kind of bug it was, but no one ever had an idea from my descriptions.

So Dobsonfly it is. a quick google images search came up with this picture:
http://naturescrusaders.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dobson-fly-in-hand.jpg
This picture is damn near like I had taken a picture of the one I found years ago. Now I know.

thanks,
lukus
 
I am trying like mad to get a picture i took of a male Dobsonfly on here. keep your fingers crossed for me. I cannot find an URL for it.
 
On a side note, they like beer. And when they drink all the stuff out of the rim of a can or two they get drunk. Drunk damselflies are pretty funny.
 
Anyone ever get pinched by a helgrammite ? A local outdoor TV personality had a "friend" tell him to "grab" one out of the bait box ...there was much blood..
 
Anyone ever get pinched by a helgrammite ? A local outdoor TV personality had a "friend" tell him to "grab" one out of the bait box ...there was much blood..

I have ..scooping up crayfish / crawdads out from under rocks with hands...water was cloudy and bam ...hurt like hell.... Thought I was going to have a "Cry in the Woods" moment... and blood was flowing and those creatures are tough as nails. I dont use them for fishing bait either after that...:D
 
You know you have good clean, unpolluted water wherever you find them.
 
Back
Top