What bug is this?

Josh K

Josh K

Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
10,395
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.
 
Bumppo said:
It is a Dobsonfly, and it looks like a female. The male has pincers almost as long as its body.
Click to expand...

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..
 
thebrain said:
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..
Click to expand...

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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top