What Insect Looks Like A HUGE Moth, And Has Pinchers?

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10 Answers

Rebecca Hunt Profile
Rebecca Hunt answered
This insect is probably the eastern Dobsonfly. The Latin name for this insect is Corydalus Cornutus.

As an adult, the Dobsonfly will measure approximately 2 inches in length. It is normally a brownish grey colour and has long grey wings that fold down over its back. Male Eastern Dobsonflies have two long jaws called mandibles that are about half its body length. The female Dobsonfly has smaller mandibles. The male's two mandibles will not hurt anyone. They are used for grasping a female Dobsonfly when they are mating. The bite of the female is painful.

The larva of the Dobsonfly is called a hellgrammite. For nearly most of their life these larvae will be found in fast moving parts of rivers and streams. This will be for up to three years. After mating, the female will lay her eggs on rocks or on branches near streams. From 100 up to 1,000 eggs will be laid with a whitish substance over them. The eggs look like bird droppings. This might protect them from various predators. Their main predators are fish. After the hellgrammites have hatched, they will either crawl into the water or drop into the water from the overhanging branch. They are not good swimmers, and mostly move by crawling. Their strong jaws are used to take their prey apart. They can also draw blood from humans.

When the hellgrammites are full sized, they will crawl out of the water and then pupate. This means they will form a cocoon. They will then crawl underneath a log or rock by the water and stay there for winter as a cocoon. When summer comes, the adult Dobsonfly will come out to mate. They will not eat anything and will only live for a couple of days. Eastern Dobsonflies will often be attracted to the lights at night time.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
That is a male Dobson fly.  The female look the same without the large pincher-like pendages.  In the larval stage they are hellgramites. 
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
The picture of the insect at the top of the page is called a Dobson Fly. We have also found one in our front yard in Southeast Nebraska.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Hi Gog!
For identifying an insect the location and the environmental details were also required. However, from the details you have mentioned I have identified that may be this insect is Costa Rica. Look at the link which can give you more details about the insect.
Costa Rica
 

thanked the writer.
Anita Goolsby
Anita Goolsby commented
Awesome! I clicked the link, and what a lot of bugs! Sure enuff, the first photo in the 'Scary Bugs' category, the Dobsonfly, looks like the one on the pole. Good one!
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I saw this last weekend while camping. Except it was the male. Been camping many times when I was younger and never saw it before. We saw a male one which was rather scary with the large mandibles but come to find out the males can't really do harm to a human, though the females who have smaller, though still large, thicker mandibles can bite hard enough to draw blood from a human.

Interesting.. Though creepy insect.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Oh my god I saw one of those that looked a lot like the female.... The weird thing was that it was in new your
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Anonymous answered
I have lived in this house now six years and have never seen one of these... Now within three days time, I have found two of these on my porch! (I live in PA)
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I saw one of these things today, sprayed it with bug spray and it didnt die, so I just left it alone and it was gone later that day... It was huge

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