Dobson
Flies started their lives as Hellgramites.
For more information of these larvae, please see the Hellgramite
page on this site.
A
Pair of Dobsonflies!!!
(06/29/2005) What type of bug is this?
Hi. I was wondering if you could help identify these bugs
for me. I live in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, about
45 miles west of Scranton. Based on the difference in body
sizes and how the pinchers look I'm guessing that they're
most likey a male and a female. The one with the long crossed
pinchers is about four inches long (from the end of the wings
to the end of the pinchers), with two inch antennae and one
inch pinchers. The one with the short pinchers is about three
inches long, with one inch antannae and maybe 1/4 inch pinchers.
They're both very docile and didn't try to fly away when I
had them in the tupperware with the lid off.
Thanks!
Ben

Hi Ben,
We have been getting plenty of Dobsonfly photos lately and
when they are in season, we always try to keep a photo on
our homepage. We currently have several that you would have
seen had you scrolled down a bit. Your photo is exquisite
and will have a permanent spot at the top of our Dobsonfly
page. Your are correct in that they are male and femaLe of
the same species and the male has the long mandibles.
Female
Dobsonfly
(11/14/2006) Please help us identify
Attached are three pictures of an insect me and a buddy saw
while on a mountain biking trip in Northeast Georgia (Helen).
We have no clue and have never seen something like this before.
Can you please help us identify. Very much appreciate.
Jonathan McLandrich
 
Hi Jonathan,
This is a female Dobsonfly. The larvae are prized bait for
fishermen and are called Hellgramites. The adults are short
lived and do not feed. We get most of our identification requests
from May through July, so your specimen is either very early
or very late.
Thank you.
The pictures are from late July so it fits within your given time frame.
Thanks again.
Jonathan McLandrich
Male
Dobsonfly
(10/12/2006) Supai Canyon, AZ bug
Hi,
We came across a number of these bugs in Supai Canyon, Arizona.
They came out every night at dusk, and would stay fluttering
on the same tree branch (or hidden inside of our drying pants)
all night, then fly away sometime in the morning. They were
about five inches long, and among the most terrifying insects
I've ever seen. We only saw them in a particular spot near
the river. They're similar to some of the antilions on your
site, but I couldn't find it specifically. Thought you might
like the photos, anyway (got one in flight!)
Peter

Hi Peter,
Despite his frightening appearance, this male Dobsonfly is
harmless.
Male
Dobsonfly
(09/24/2006) Bug Identification help
I was directed to your website from a friend. I was wondering
if you could help identify the bug in the photo attached?
We found it while hiking in Shades State Park in Southern
Indiana last summer. Thank you!
Julie

Hi Julie,
We get most Dobsonfly queries during June and July and we
try to keep a photo of one on our homepage all summer. This
is a male, distinguishable because of the shape of his mandibles.
Summer
Fishfly
(09/14/2006) cicada, moth, dragonfly cross?
Hi my name is jesse dovick and I live in Welland, Ontario,
Canada. I was in my friends shed when this thing flew in.
I thought it was a moth but then noticed it had dragonfly
like wings with no powder. also it has 2 wicked fangs and
6 other mandible type things. I coaxed it to ride on my finger
to my house so i could photograph it. It has cicada like patterns
on it. I'm quite curious to find out what this bug is. see
enclosed pics
jesse dovick

Hi Jesse,
This is a Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis. It can
be distinguished from its larger and more impressive cousin,
the Dobsonfly, by the combed antennae.
Male
Dobsonfly
(08/27/2006) Bug Encounter
Here's one for you! Strange bug if you ask me. Close encounter
of the 4" kind. This guy flew into me by accident while
I was walking into th> door of my place of employment. This
guy is 4 inches long with the front pinchers taking 1 inch
alone! Talk about a large bug! Can you identify? I'm from
Round Rock, Texas, but this guy ran into me in Austin, Texas,
Southeast area to be exact. Thank you,
Mike

Hi Mike,
Because of their large size, prehistoric appearance, and large
mandibles, we get numerous requests to identify Dobsonflies.
Your specimen is a male, identified because of the shape of
the pinchers.
Fishfly
(08/23/2006) night flying insect
Hi,
This is a night flying insect i see every year at this time
. i love to watch them fly around my porch at night. There
wings are like fairies in flight . I call them the fairy bug
. There so cool. can you please tell me what it is? thank
you so much...
celine m devlin

Hi Celine,
This is a Fishfly in the genus Chauliodes. It is in the same
family as Dobsonflies. Fishflies are often attractred to lights
at night and are found near bodies of water.
Male
Dobsonfly
(08/23/2006) 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.
Dobsonfly
for Dinner!!!
(08/04/2006) 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.
Male
Dobsonfly
(08/03/2006) 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.
Female
Dobsonfly
(08/03/2006) 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.
Dobsonfly
visits Gerald Ford Museum!!!!
(07/06/2006) 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.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/02/2006) 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.
Male
Dobsonfly
(06/25/2006) 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.
Female
Dobsonfly
(06/26/2006) 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.
Fishfly
(06/23/2006) 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
Bug
of the Month: June 2006
Male Dobsonfly
(06/14/2006) 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.
Male
Dobsonfly
(06/10/2006) 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.
Fishfly
(05/21/2006) Female Dobsonfly?
What an awesome website you have! We live in Des Moines, Iowa,
less than 1 mile from the Des Moines River. Today we were
out working in the yard and when I went to sit in my lawn
chair, I discovered this creature had landed on it! We did
a quick catch-and-release so we could get a good photo, and
I thought you might like the shot of her from the front. We're
pretty sure... after Googling the string, bug wings pinchers,
and finding your site... that it's a female dobsonfly. Can
you confirm? I have to say it's probably the ugliest thing
I've ever seen... but, fascinating nonetheless! Thanks for
a fun and informative site!
Janet Green, Des Moines Iowa

Hi Janet,
We expect to be getting plenty of photos of Dobsonflies in
the coming months. Eric Eaton has this to say about this specimen:
"The female dobsonfly is likely a different kind of Fish Fly.
Please see bugguide for the alternatives (Chauliodes sp??)."
Female
Dobsonfly
(05/04/2006) what is this?
I would like to find out what this is. I live outside of Austin,
west, and this thing showed up on my shed about 3 or 4 days
ago.
Thanks,
tim

Hi Tim,
Your somewhat blurry photo marks what we expect to be the
beginning of a swarm of queries regarding the Dobsonfly. Your
specimen is a female.
Female
Dobsonfly
(02/07/2006) creepy thing
what in the world is this? I found it and many others attached
to some cattle that were being moved to a feed lot in KS.
About 4 inches long, mean and smelled like rotten flesh. So
stong in fact it was gagable to sniff them.
Thanks,
Mark
Oklahoma City

Hi Mark,
We are usually innundated with requests to identify Dobsonflies
from May through July. Your specimen is early. She is a female.
We have never heard about the offensive smell you describe.
Are you sure it wasn't the cows?
Male
Dobsonfly from Panama
(12/19/2005) I looked in the list. Still no clue. What's this
bug?
Hello,
My mother found this bug on her porch in Panama. We both are
curious as to what kind of bug this is. It's about 4 to 5
inches long according to her.
Regards,
Michael Steward
I think I found it after all. Is this a Dobson Fly?

Hi Michael,
Your are exactly correct. This is a male Dobsonfly.
Female
Dobsonfly
(09/03/2005) Dobsonfly picture
Dear "What's That Bug",
Some friends of mine and I were amazed and yet very scared
of this huge bug attached to our dorm-room side
door. We attend Bible college, are
from ages 18-24, and yet we're very freaked out by this
thing that looked like it could eat our soul. It
was definitely dying, but still... We took pictures
and went around online looking for it and found
your site (and we now assume it's a Dobsonfly).
Does this thing bite? Also... did Japan use this
bug as a basis for Mothra? Thanks for making our
search quick and easy,
~Scared JBC Students
P.S. Wow! God has creativity!

Dear Scared Students,
Evolution and Natural Selection truly are wondrous. The Dobsonfly
does not eat as an adult. The male has formidible pincher
jaws used in mating and the female has more useful jaws for
biting and she will bite for defense. It is very necessary
for her to be able to protect herself before she lays her
eggs. We are not really sure what the actual inspiration for
Mothra was, but we assume it was a Saturnid Moth.
Fishfly
(08/09/2005) Bug
I was wondering if you could help me identify this flying
bug..thanks
Jeff Zuidema

Hi Jeff,
This is a Fishfly which is closely related to Dobsonflies.
Fishflies are smaller and have antennae feathered on one side.
Dobsonfly
identified by WTB?
(08/02/2005) Dobson fly
Hi,
Just found your super website and lo and behold - there it
was - the gigantic insect I've been trying to give a name
to! It was a Dobson Fly. Gave us a real
shock when my granddaughter brought a dead one over in a large
pickle jar that her neighbor found on her back porch.
It measured 6 inches from wing ends to tip of pincers!
We photographed it with our digital camera and have been trying
to identify it ever since. Seems it pinched a lady in
the neighborhood. It's funny that I lived in this area
for 60 years and never saw one before. Enclosed is our pic.
Keep up the good work!
Barbara Erney
Harrisburg, PA

Hi Barbara,
Happy we could be helpful.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/28/2005) Interesting Bug
I'm assuming this is the male, given the extra ornateness;
I got a picture of the presumed female, but unfortunately
it's very poor quality and she's barely visible. I saw this
fellow in a park nearby. He was crawling around, and headed
toward me; I moved several times and he tracked me each time.
I think he was just looking for something climb on - the female
showed up a few minutes later, and he climbed up on the post
that he's next to in this picture, and arched his back and
spread his wings, just holding the pose. He's pretty good
size - I'd say 5-6 inches, stem to stern. He had a couple
of pincer-like appendages on his tail, of a fleshy material,
similar to what's on his head, but shorter. Unfortunately
they're folded under him in this picture. I have never seen
anything like this. Any idea what it is?
Alan Little

Hi Alan,
Nice photo of a Male Dobsonfly. We were getting several letters
a day in May and June and not so many in July regarding this
fascinating insect.
Female Dobsonfly
(07/25/2005) Dear Bugman:
Is the attached creepy bug a female dobson fly? It measures
approx 4-5 inches from pincher to bottom of wings. We found
in on our window screen early in the morning in early July.
It appears to avoid daylight, and is rather docile. We live
near Harrisburg, PA , approximately 2 miles from the large
Susquehanna River. Thanks for any information you have.
Regards
Joe

Hi Joe,
Beautiful and artful photo of a female Dobsonfly.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/20/2005) Big Pennsylvania Bug
Hi Bug Guy,
This interesting looking guy welcomed me home tonight.
It was just sitting on the front door and appeared pretty
docile, not minding the flash of my camera or the tape measure. The
pictures aren't too good but I just couldn't bring myself
to get any closer to it. I just moved to Eastern
Pennsylvania from New Jersey and had never seen anything
like it. Thanks to your fantastic site, I learned that it
was a male dobson fly, right? Also, thanks to your site,
I no longer feel the need to pack up and move back to Jersey!
Great site! I suspect I'll be checking back here often!
Thanks!
Corinne

Hi Corinne,
We are so happy the site was helpful and want to thank you
for actually doing the research on it. Your photo is pretty
great.
Female
Dobsonfly: Cooled down for her closeups!!!
(07/12/2005) Our First Dobsons Fly !!!
Hello WTB,
My wife and I came home to this strange creature last evening
resting on the inside of our garage door. We live in north
central Iowa about 30 minutes south of the Minnesota border.
Never seen such a frightening looking bug!!! Had no idea what
it was!! We called our local nature center and they tried
to convince us that that it was an Earwig. Seen too
many of those to know better and the mandibles were on the
wrong end anyway!!! I just wasn't buying that so after a long
while browsing the internet and every imaginable entomology
sight we could think of we finally stumbled across your terrific
web page and soon had the answer we were looking for.
**** DOBSON FLY - Female!!!***** This girl measured 2 3/4"
long from the tip of the mandibles to the end of the wings.
The wing span was almost 4" when open. She had quite
an attitude and would put on an amazing display of courage
if you got to close. Sent along some digital photos for you.
One of our local university entomology web sights described
how to refrigerate the specimen for about an hour making very
sure not to freeze her. This worked amazingly well to slow
this fiery beast down so we could get some close-ups. The
photos were done quickly and then we took her outside and
rested her in a bush outside our living room window. She warmed
quickly in the 80+ degree morning sun and was back to her
marauding self in a matter of seconds. When last seen she
was working her way deep into the center of the bush and when
we checked this evening she was gone. Never seen anything
like this in my almost 50 years of living in this area!!!
What a amazingly horrifying treat she was!!! Your photos of
the males are even more ferocious. Thanks for a great informational
web sight. We will check back often.
Mike and Diane K.
 
Hi Mike and Diane,
What a wonderful letter. The female Dobsonfly is more aggressive
than the male despite his formidible looking mandibles. Apparently
his jaws serve some mating purpose that we can only cringe
at. The female uses her more manageable mandibles not to eat,
since adults do not eat, but to defend herself against anything
that tries to eat her before she can lay eggs. Thanks for
the great photos as well.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/12/2005) Dobsonflie Closeup
Now that I know what it is here are a couple dobsonfly closeups.
 
Thanks David,
And they are great close-ups of a Male Dobsonfly.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/09/2005) dobson fly
Hi,
We just found your site and found out that what we have is
one of these amazing bugs! We let it go, but here is a photo
from one that we saw down in northern N.J. last summer! We
had no idea what it was until a friend recognized it as a
Dobson fly! I had never seen one before in my 46 years! Great
website!
Buggy in VT!

Thanks for the photo Buggy.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/08/2005) Dobsonfly
Hello,
What a great site !!! I had to go downstairs to take
a couple of pictures of this little monster that more or less
presented itself to me after I dropped a tree with a chainsaw
and was walking up the tree removing the branches afterward.
This little monster just about wanted to kick my butt for
crashing his world and came at me with tusks drawn!
- LOL So here are a few shots to do what you'd like
with :) Keep up the great site too !!
Eric

Thanks for the photo Eric. We are happy you both survived
your encounter.
Male
Canadian Dobsonfly
(07/04/2005) Dobson Fly?
Hi,
We saw this "bug" in Southern Ontario today.
It was roughly 4" long. From searching the internet,
we think it's a Dobson Fly male?

Absolutely correct.
Female
Dobsonfly
(07/01/2005) dobson fly
Hello, I'm in Ithaca, NY & I saw a Dobson Fly the other
day and was curious about it. Someone told me to
check out your site because you have a lot of info on it...so
I did and I think it's very helpful! I took a piture
of the one we found and I'll send it over to you. Feel
free to post it if you'd like! I used a camera
phone, so it's not the best picture, but I think it serves
its purpose. Thanks again for running such a cool
site! And damn, that was the biggest insect I've
ever seen!
Andrea

Hi Andrea,
Just wait until you see a male Dobsonfly
Dobsonfly
Female
(06/30/2005) Just another Dobsonfly Photo...
I live in Central PA near the Conodoguinet creek and the Susquehanna
river. I am glad to see the Dobsonfly in our area, as
they are proof positive that these bodies of water are doing
well. I have been seeing a few each summer. Just one question,
how far do these insects travel from water after emerging?
We live 2-3 miles from both of these bodies of water. Why
would they travel so far? I do have a small drainage
stream behind my house. It is only a few inches deep most
of the year and has been known to almost completely dry up
in long summer droughts. I have seen no signs of aquatic life
back there but the drainage field is only at the bottom of
my road and I am sure there are things living in there. Could
hellgrammites be living in either this small stream or the
drainage field? I don’t imagine the water quality is
too good in either case due to the fact that they are fed
completely by runoff from the local streets and yards. I would
think that the levels of miscellaneous chemicals and petroleum
products are quite high. I have always been told that hellgrammites
need clean flowing water to thrive. Any ideas?
Jason

Hi Jason,
Often the old texts have obsolete information when it comes
to names and classification, but they often contain valuable
observations. Here is something written by Comstock: "Corydalus.--The
only member of this genus in our fauna is Corydalus cornutus.
This is a magnificent insect, which has a wing-expanse of
from 100 to 130 mm. ...[The male] has remarkable long mandibles.
The female resembles the male, except that the mandibles are
comparatively short. The larva are called dobsons or hellgrammites
by anglers and are used by them for bait, expecially for bass.
... These larvae live under stones in the beds of streams.
They are most abundant where the water flows swiftest. They
feed upon the naiads of stone-flies and May-flies and on other
insects. ... When about two years and eleven months old, the
larva leaves the water and makes a cell under a stone or some
other object on or near the bank of the stream. This occurs
during the early part of the summer; here the larva changes
to a pupa In about a month after the larva leaves the water,
the adult insect appears. The eggs are then soon laid; these
are attached to stones or other objects overhanging the water.
They are laid in blotch-like masses, which are chalky white
in color and measure from 12mm. to nearly 25 mm. in diameter.
A single mass contains from two thousand to three thousand
eggs. When the larvae hatch they at once find their way into
the water, where they remain until full-grown." So, if you
live 2-3 miles from the body of water, my assumption is that
they are carried by the wind since they are not particularly
strong fliers.
Female
Dobsonfly
(06/29/2005) new bug
I found this guy very early this AM about 5:25 on my
morning walk. I had to put him in a paper towel to bring him
home as he has nasty large pinchers. Look at how he is pinching
the paper towel, I'm glad that wasn't my fingers. Anyways,
I looked on the web to see what kind of a bug he is and the
closest I can find is a dobsonfly, snakefly and a fishfly,
but yet he doesn't look quite like them and he seems bigger
than they are? I'm going to send a pix into the "what
kind of bug is this" website and see what they say. I
brought him home and put him in the fridg, they get cold and
can't move then you can take pix of them. :-) found that out
the with moths, they become quite docile when cold.
Judy Schrader
Wildlife
Paintings and Nature Art
 
Hi Judy,
You are a tricky photographer. You don't have a guy, but a
gal. You have a female Dobsonfly. We linked to your site so
people can see your fabulous artwork.
Male
Dobsonfly
(06/27/2005) Strangest bug I have ever seen
I really enjoy your website and discovering what others have
discovered until I found my own unique insect. I have
no clue as to what this may be. I have researched through
many sites and have not found an exact match. Can you
help??
Thanks
Rich - Maryland

Hi Rich,
Just this morning we removed a photo of a male Dobsonfly from
our homepage since we got a female. They exhibit sexual dimorphism
which manifests itself in the jaw structure. The males have
pincers like your example, and females have smaller but more
robust mandibles. We have an entire Dobsonfly page with many
photos.
Female
Dobsonfly
(06/26/2005) dobson
Hi there,
I love your site. I took this photo of a dobson fly in Perry
County, PA, this past weekend. Use it if you wish or toss
it out.
Galen Kreiser

Hi Galen,
Thanks for the compliment, and we love your photo of a female
Dobsonfly.
Portrait
of a Dobsonfly
(06/19/2005) Hey, I saw this in my mom's garden today and
I promptly ran in and googled on the expression
"what kind of bug is that" - and I ended up
at your site and I learned it was a dobsonfly. W00t! Anyway,
this fellow was maybe 7" from jaw-tip to wing-tip and
the antenna were 6" across. He was spotted
in Stowe, Pennsylvania, which is in the south
eastern part of the state.
Michael

Hi Michael,
I guess we chose our site's name wisely. We have always maintained
that everyone wants to know "What's That Bug?" Glad we could
be helpful. Your photo is pretty impressive.
Male
Dobsonfly
(06/14/2005) Alien Bug!!
I found this bug this morning, on the floor at the injection
mold facility where I work, near Charlotte, North Carolina.
I'd love to know what it is.
Amy Layton

Hi Amy,
This is our first Dobsonfly photo of the year. People are
always amazed seeing them for the first time. Your specimen
is a male because of the very large mandibles. Females, though
they have smaller mouthparts, are better capable of biting,
but both are harmless. We have an entire Dobsonfly page as
well as a Hellgrammite page (larval form). Click those links
in the alphabatized list on the left of the www.whatsthatbug.com
homepage for more photos and information.
Female
Dobsonfly
(06/11/2005) What kind of bug is this?
What kind of bug is this? It was 2 inches in length.
Thanks!
Craig Vallelunga

Hi Craig,
What a puny specimen of a Dobsonfly you saw. Yours is a female
recognizeable by her smaller mandibles. Check out our Dobsonfly
page for some photos of behemoths.
Dobsonfly
from El Salvador
(12/18/2004) Strange and fierce bug
We found this on our window sill the other day here in San
Salvador. Can you help me identify it? I've never seen anything
like it.
Thanks,
Scotty

Hi Scotty,
You have an impressive specimen of a male Dobsonfly. I don't
know the exact species as I am only familiar with the species
found in the continental U.S. We have gotten reports of male
Dobsonflies that reach four inches in length. The males have
the scary looking pincher jaws, but the smaller mandibles
on the female are more capable of delivering a bite.
Thanks for the information. We do run across all sorts of
strange stuff here that we can't identify. Since we live up
in a coffee plantation both my wife and I have been bitten
by scorpions. Talk about a pop. :) The Dobsonfly that we had
was the length of a key. I'll forward you another photo that
shows his size. Again, thanks for the help.
Scotty
Male
Dobsonfly
(08/05/2004) Photo for your site
Here's a photo of a Dobson Fly that was taken at one of the
NYS Thruway
Maintenance Facilities. Hope you enjoy it!
Dave B.

Thanks so much Dave. We are posting it post haste.
Not
a Dobsonfly, but a Fishfly
(07/21/2004) Hi,
I hope all is well with you. Last night I saw this big guy
hovering around the flood light on the back of my house. I
tried to get better pictures, but he moved around pretty fast.
Best Regards,
Ed Cogan

Hi Ed,
Thank you for the photo of a Fishfly, Chauliodes species.
These are relatives of Dobsonflies, both belonging to the
family Corydalidae. They can be recognized because of their
comblike antennae. Larvae are aquatic predators, and it is
likely that adults do not feed.
Male
Dobsonfly
(07/09/2004) To Whom it May Concern:
My name is Tracy and I live in North Central Illinois.
Attached is a photo of a bug we found in our garage (sorry
about the size of the photo, my program wont shrink it).
It is about 5 inches long and I have never seen a bug this
big in our area. Any info would be great!
Thank you!
Tracy Spires

Hi Tracy,
Thanks for the photo of a male Dobsonfly. Had you scrolled
down our homepage, you would have seen several more. We try
to keep current sitings on the homepage. You can also click
the link in the alphabatized list on the left side of the
the homepage to go directly to the Dobsonfly page for even
more information.
Another
Dobsonfly Drawing?
(07/06/2004) Can you tell me what this bug is?We saw it approx
10 yds from a river,in central Minnesota.Someone said maybe
a water scorpian,but the pictures of water scorpians I saw,were
different than this.This has a more slender body,light grey
in color,and the pinchers were short.I did not notice any
sort of tail on this one?Thanks~
Mary Hoeper

Hi Mary,
We believe your fabulous drawing and descriptive text is representative
of a Dobsonfly, probably a female.
(07/05/2004) What in the world is this bug?!
Dear Bugman,
Hello! My family and I were at Timberline yesterday
for the July 4th Cookout. Timberline is a park
that has a pond and woods. While at the pond fishing,
I saw a strange bug laying underside-down in the water. It
was about 3.75 inches long and I was so bewildered by it that
I decided to get a stick and pull it out. The bug was dead,
but its 2 front legs stuck to the stick. I got
a look at it's underside and the body looked like a caterpillar
without all of the legs. The body was segmented The
wings were about 4 inches long and it had 6(?) legs near the
front of the body. I didn't get a good look at the facial
features but I did get to see that it had eyes that were very
close together, and the eyes were bigger than "Seed Beeds".
The wings almost looked like white onion skins, with the same
color and kind of translucent. The wings had veins
through them. I was so angry that I didn't have
my digital camera with me, but I drew up a simple sketch of
what it looked like and I attached it to the email. I'm
hoping you can tell me anything about it, like what kind of
bug it is, or what it is specifically. I haven't
ever seen anything like it.
-+-Very Befuddled-+-
Dear Befuddled,
We believe you saw a Dobsonfly.
Female
Dobsonfly
(07/05/2004) Never seen one like this before
Greetings from East Central Indiana
I found this critter on my screen door that is illuminated
by a 60 watt porch light last night at about 11pm.
I will admit I am new (3 years, going on 4) to rural Indiana
but I have never seen a bug quite like this one. It's
3 inches long, two antenne, a pair of pinchers on the head
that give it a formidable, menacing look. It's underbody
is about an inch and a half long (It wasn't too keen on
rolling over for me), and when provoked will raise it's
head and pinchers for an even more menacing look.
The wings are somewhat lacey, and when It's in docile, head
down mode it looks more like a leaf than a bug....
Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks in advance
PS - 3 pictures attached to this mail, jpeg format, taken
with Sony digital
Jeff G.

Hi Jeff,
We have an entire page devoted to Dobsonflies. Just click
the link in the alphabatized list on the left side of the
www.whatsthatbug.com homepage. Your specimen is a female.
(07/01/2004)
photo of male dobsonfly
The kids were on a playground and found this monster. After
some work this morning, was able to identify it; thought you
might like a photo. This guy was about 6"
long. I have a photo taken from another angle where
you can see that he is clearly longer than the 2x4 on which
he was resting. Love your web site--just
found it today--will surely visit again.

Thanks for your photo Deb.
Dead
Female Dobsonfly
(06/25/2004) what is this thing??
OK....I've never seen anything like this before, and I work
for a pest control company!
It's brownish and black, has four distinct wings (rather large,
too), and they're not touching, it's eyes are on either side
of it's head, two big big mandibles with sharp serrated like
things inbetween them. His body has a head, neck, two body
segments, and then a long tail piece. He has 6 legs. I know
my nomenclature is totally off, but what do you think? He's
about 2.5 inches long. Need a picture?
Thanks so much!
Suzanne
 
Hi Suzanne,
You most definitely have a dead female Dobsonfly. The photo
I sent to you was of a male, which have bigger jaws. Your
photos are awesome, and I'm sure they will have our readers
screaming.
Thanks so much for ID'ing it. We thought we'd found some sort
of prehistoric creature :) I guess I can toss it now, it's
getting kind of stinky :) Thanks
Suzanne
Actually Suzanne, prehistoric is not so far fetched. Dobsonflies
are nerve winged insects of the order Neuroptera and are among
the most primitive insects that undergo complete metamorphosis.
Female
Dobsonfly
(06/27/2004) what is this thing??????????
i live in south eastern wisconsin and found this bug on my
back step can you tell me what it is doesn't quite look like
a secada to me??

Dear Sparky,
You have a female Dobsonfly.
(06/23/2004)
Small Blurry Female Dobsonfly
This morning, my son and I found a large 1 1/2 inch
light brown winged insect clinging to the stucco on our house.
We live in North St. Paul, MN and we are trying to figure
out what type of insect this is. It has antennea that
are maybe a half inch long and a body that is skinny
and segmented with two pincher looking objects on the tail.
The head is point shaped at the nose, and wide where
is has bulging eyes and tiny pinchers in the mouth
area. It threatened me with these pinchers as I tried
to get him into a jar so we could view him up close.
He moved rather sluggishly and didn't seem prone to trying
to fly. I wondered if it was a realtive to the dragonfly/
damselfly, but it is not colorful and does not have the same
stick like body and legs that jut out from the front.
The legs are placed on the sides of the body. It kindof
looks like a caddis fly larvae, but I couldn't find any pictures
that showed wings and I got the impression they are smaller
than this. When we put him on paper to take his picture,
it tried to fly and flew up onto the screen door. It appears to
have 4 wings. Can you tell from these pictures and my
description what it is. I'm trying to find another camera
to use as the polaroid can't get close up without getting
fuzzy. For now here are the photos.

It is difficult to be sure since the photo is so blurry,
but I'm guessing a female dobsonfly.
Thank you so much for you help in indentifying this marvelous
creature. We enjoyed her for a few minutes and them released
her back to the wall. She was still hanging around the last
I looked. You do have some amazing photos that folks have
shared with you on your site and my son and I enjoyed browsing
the different types of bugs. This is such a great service
you provide. Bravo!! This is a great site!!!
Anne-Marie
(06/07/2004)
female Dobsonfly
I live in southeastern wisconsin and have never seen this
kind of bug before can you help?????

Dobsonflies are swarming in many parts of the country
right now. Yours is a female.
The
Dobsonflies are Swarming!
(05/11/2004) Female Dobson Fly
WTB,
Wow! What a great website and service you are providing.
Yesterday 5/10/04 while working in the garden in South Jersey,
I was nearly run over by a female Dobson fly!
I didn't know what it was. I thought maybe a lace wing but
when I looked it up on the web, I knew it wasn't. Thus began
my search to identify this beautiful insect. I found your
site and was happy to see all of the recent postings on Dobson
flies. I'd like to learn about it's life cycle and what it
feeds upon but when I go to the link at the left that you
spoke of , it takes me right back to the e-mails again.
My 5 year old daughter (and future entomologist, i think)
was absolutely fascinated by her. Everytime we took the fly
and placed it onto a tomato plant it would fly to her and
land on her!
"Look Daddy, it likes me."
Too cool............
Nick Pinizzotto
Pittsgrove, NJ
(05/11/2004)
Dobsonfly
I took this picture this morning on May 11, 2004 at 8 am.
We had 3 of these bugs on our screen door. I have searched
online for an answer and came up with nothing. These bugs
were about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, in the picture you can
see my 9 year old daughter's fingers to compare size. We
live in New Jersey.
Hi Lori, You have a female Dobsonfly. The males have
much larger jaws. Adults can get considerably larger than
your specimen. We have an entire page devoted to them on
the www.whatsthatbug.com website. Just click the dobsonfly
link on the left side of the page in the alphabatized list
for more information.
Thank you very much for clearing this up for me. I had
no idea what this was. Thanks for replying so quickly!
(04/10/2004)
I was surfing around and found your site. Unfortunately,
I do not have a picture of the bug that I am curious about,
but it's dimensions are etched permanently in my brain.
I saw it in Tennessee and the most remarkable thing about
it (to me) was just how large it was. The entire thing was
slightly longer than 2" and as big around as my pinkie.
It had two pairs of 1" wings on its abdomen (not the
thorax region) that could well have belonged to a dragon fly,
only they angled back like a fighter jet instead of straight
out like a biplane. The thorax was used like a neck
to articulate its head there were two round black eyes and
very visible and pronounced mandibles that really looked perfect
for biting my whole finger. It was way too big to splat.
I put a jar around it and it stayed alive in there for days,
following my every movement until I finally couldn't take
it any longer, mustered my courage, scooped the thing up (in
the jar) and threw it into the pasture across the road. I'm
hoping that, if you've ever seen anything like this, my words
will be sufficient to help you identify it. I'd like
to know what it is, its range of habitat and its function
in our ecosystem. Thanks to you for your time and attention
to this.
Very truly yours,
Jenna Casanova
Dear Jenna,
It sounds like it might be a male Dobsonfly.
Daniel~
By George, I believe you've got it! Thank you so much!
Jenna
(7/25/2003)Dear
Bugman,
I was so thrilled to have a coworker identify this
Hellgrammite and that I actually found your site to get
further information. I live in the Harrisburg area
and was quite amazed by this beautiful but scary thing perched
on a patio chair around July 19. I thought this picture
really showed him off well. He hung out a few hours
on the back of the chair (I wasn't about to chase him away!)
and snuck away at some point. He was FOUR inches,
and we live at least a mile away from the water (Susquehanna
River and also Yellow Breeches creek), so I guess he lost
his way. . . Thanks for being there
Pat
Dear
Pat,
Wow, thanks for the awesome photo. We have recently
gotten many letters, and most with photos, of Dobsonflies. We
are soon going to update the website with a gallery of them. I
can't wait to post yours. He is a male, hence
the enormous jaws. Thanks again.
Daniel
(7/29/2003)
While walking with the kids by the river, I found the biggest
bug I've ever seen. After I put in a cup and brought
it home, we put it in a large jar. Then the task
of looking up what the heck the bug was. Turns out, via your
web site I found it, after about a half hour of searching
google. Sure enough its a Dobson fly! Thank you
so much for the information. The kids think its
cool and scary at the same time, I've told them it's harmless.
Judy Lillie,
Wausau Wisconsin
Yes
Judy, the Dobsonfly is harmless. I'm so glad
you found our site helpful. We have been getting
numerous letters about Dobsonflies. Apparently,
there was a dearth of information, or at least difficult
to locate information on them before we went online. Have
a nice day and keep appreciating insects for their amazing
diversity and beauty. Might I recommend a video
called "Microcosmos" that has amazing footage
of insects, though unfortunately, no Dobsonflies. Have a
nice day.
Daniel
(7/22/2003)
Needless to say, we were all freaked out here at work when
we saw this one. One of my coworkers found your site and
we were finally able to name it. I thought this one came
over on a boat from some foreign country... Nothin like
anything i've seen before.
Thanks for the help!
-Keith
Thanks
for the amazing photograph.
9 Jul 2003 01:06:40 -0700
Thanks
for posting a site that allowed me to identify this beautiful
creature! I thought you'd like the photo as it
is pretty nice. I've seen these all my life growing up in
the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, but never knew
what they were called (everyone else calls them 'stone flies')
I also saw my first sun spider that same night. I
think that is what it is, anyhow. It confused me
with the appearance of having ten legs!
Thanks again, Anthony P.
Those
Dobsonfly photos just keep coming.
(7/16/03)
Thanks for having this "little" guy on you page. I've
seen Hellgramites before, but I never knew what they grew
into. I spotted this one on the ash tray outside our office
this morning. I thought you might like to add
the picture to your collection.
Thanks!
Bob
Thanks
for the great photo Bob.
(7/1/03)
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,
She is beautiful. He is an adult Dobson Fly, the larvae
of which are known as Hellgrammites. The male has even moreformidable
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.
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