Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We found this on the wall outside work today. It took a while, but I finally found out what it was, but does anyone here know? It's a pretty scary bug, actually. It's got the head of a mantis and horns of a rhino beetle, and it flies! It's about 4-5" long. The horns are actually pinchers, and he's all ready to pinch, too.

To add to the Digital Camera discussions of late, this is from the new Sony Cybershot DSC U20. The cam does really well in good lighting, like outside.

-----
Rob Jenkins
herpcam.com

well. i don't rightly know.. it looks cool.. and my guess would be a caddis fly.. but i don't think they have pinchers...very cool though....

alissa

How many wings does it have, 2 or 4?

That was a problem we had; we didn't know, because noone would touch it. It has 4, though. This thing was intimidating, let me tell you.
-----
Rob Jenkins
herpcam.com

.
-----
"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

the adults are also called 'hellgramies'... or more specifically Corydalus cornutus. you have a male, the females have much smaller mandibles, almost the same size as the larva... the males use those things to hold the female in place during mating.... i think...

the males cant bite very hard.. but watch out for the females and larva.. once they latch on theres no letting go. i used to find these all the time.... dave
-----
"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

We really had no clue what it was. We're on a military base, so we thought it could've come in on a shipment from someone's household goods from overseas. I ended up taking it to the Entomologists office on post and they got back to me after lunch with what it was. They said it was harmless, but it sure doesn't look like it. In my research online, it said that the adults only live a few days. That's horrible, because they really look cool(and evil). I'm really intrigued by Mantids, also. I think they live longer, so I may try to get one in the future. Could you hold these Dobson Flies? We scooped it into a box and taped it up.

Once I mentioned the name Hellgammite in the office, one of the guys knew exactly what I was talking about, but hadn't seen the fly, only the larva. The entomologist said they're not uncommon around here, but this is the first time any of us had seen one.

Thanks
-----
Rob Jenkins
herpcam.com

i found this site...
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/dobsonfly.htm
that has some good info if you want to read up about these things.. yea they are evil looking and pretty intimidating if you dont know what they are. the males are pretty much harmless.. females can draw blood. of course you COULD hold one.. i dunno if i would WANT to.. but thats up to you..

dobson "flys" arent technically flies.. flies (order diptera) have only 2 wings... these have 4 wings.. im not sure what order they are, its been a while since ive done much with insects.

where are you? here in northern pa we go out and find these things in the river and sell them as fish bait.. good money.. seeing as im 15 and cant really get a job... im not sure how far north or south theyre found.. that site might say.

hope all this has helped... dave
-----
"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

my kids and I got got two ootheca (the pods) last summer and around 600 hatched....
we kept one we named max and he was really awesome!
they can live from four months to one year under perfect conditions, visit the mantid forum here on kingsnake.
sue

-----
Life is what happens when you are making other plans.......