#Eastern Dobsonfly

[onenicebugperday]

Eastern dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus, Corydalidae

Found throughout the eastern United States and up into Canada.

Photo 1 (adult female) by tmurray74, 2 (adult male) by togatiya, 3 (larva - aka hellgrammite) by kellysmith, and 4 (pupa) by muir

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

Ok, there were lots of votes for fuzzy (tomorrow, I promise), but I was inspired by @cccshutdown requesting "bring me the Longest beast you know" to post this ginormous female dobsonfly we found at the lights a couple of weeks ago. She is Eastern Dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus), she is Megaloptera, and she is FIERCE!!

[dougdimmadodo]

Fast Fauna Facts #22 - Eastern Dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus)

Family: Dobsonfly Family (Corydalidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Unassessed

Like most dobsonfly species male Eastern Dobsonflies like the individual pictured above have enormous mandibles used to impress females, wrestle with rival males and grip partners during mating, but despite their intimidating appearance these mandibles are fairly weak and are unlikely to cause significant injury to humans. Ironically, the much shorter mandibles of females are significantly more powerful, with an adult female Eastern Dobsonfly potentially breaking skin if provoked. While both male and female Eastern Dobsonflies possess impressive jaws neither actually feed as adults, instead spending the entirety of their short lives gathered around shallow slow-moving streams attempting to locate and impress mates. After mating female Eastern Dobsonflies lay eggs on rocks or plants hanging over water, and the newly-hatched aquatic larvae, known as hellgrammites, are born with extremely powerful jaws used to feed on smaller insects as they grow.

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Image Source: Here

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[jenfoundabug]

Eastern dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus) larva I found while hanging out in the river in Northeastern Pennsylvania (US) last year. Dobsonfly larvae, also known as hellgrammites, are one of the top invertebrate predators in fast-moving streams. They tend to hide under rocks and use their sharp mandibles to capture and eat prey. These mandibles can also deliver a painful (but harmless) bite, so definitely be careful handling them! Larvae can get up to 3.5 inches (9 cm) long. Since they're large and relatively common, many of the local fishermen like to use them as bait (which may or may not be problematic).

These insects spend 1-3 years as larvae and pupate outside of the stream under a rock or log. The adults are huge. The male can be up to 5.5 inches (14 cm) long and has massive mandibles that are intimidating but harmless. Adults aren't known to feed, and they only live for about a week, just enough time to mate and lay eggs.

[almightyhamslice]

Insektober day 9: Seaside

Ambrose and Thoran rest beside the sea at Khord Shore, allowing the local water mites to crawl over them as they lean against each other. Ambrose is a notorious pirate who wishes to be a captain someday, but is held back by his boss. Thoran wants to live a quiet and peaceful life, but always finds herself entangled with the pirates. The two hate each other, and yet they still sit together under the sunset. What must draw them to each other?

Weirdly tender piece between 2 underexplained characters of mine. I absolutely love Thoran and will talk abt her any chance I get, but there's not much of her on this blog! And Ambrose... I straight up didn't post him at all lol! I'll tell you about them right now, then! Also since it's quick, regarding the water mites: they're kind of like pests to the residents of Khord Shore, though some think they're cute and keep them as pets. They're like rats but semi aquatic and arachnids LOL. They're not anthropomorphic, kind of like how the Amorites are in the show.

Ambrose is a spotted lanternfly. I basically designed him as a central villain for a certain episode of my insektors rewrite that I haven't gotten to yet... he's something of a megalomaniac, though his boss usually "keeps him in check"... by manipulating him. He likes to take on a leading role, though often thinks he is held back by his fellow pirates. He knows as well as any other pirate in his crew that it's dangerous for him to fight alone, but he wishes his backup would. y'know. back him up. He wants Thoran to go on raids with him, but she hates the pirate life & wishes to stay out of trouble. It's frustrating-- Thoran's one of the only people Ambrose trusts, but he hates how stubborn she can be!

Thoran is an eastern dobsonfly. She's part of the same rewrite story as Ambrose, though she is more of a grey figure-- she's a Yuk, but isn't allied with the other Yuks around her. She is kind to those who are kind to her, regardless of alignment essentially. Also, she is transgender! Though you may have already guessed that if you're familiar with dobsonflies in real life. Unlike Krabo, Greeb, Moritz, and Zarojo, Thoran doesn't have access to medication so mostly relies on social presentation. Dobsonfly gender roles are interesting as well-- female dobsonflies are expected to be strong and fierce, while males are just supposed to be pretty (their mandibles are purely decorative, they're soft and not good for fighting!)-- so Thoran's been literally fighting her entire life to gain respect from her peers. That's how she lost her eye and part of her mandible! She's actually proud of the jaw scar-- the stump that's left of her mandible looks much more like a cis female dobsonfly's would. She's been thinking about getting her other mandible filed down or cut off, but she thinks it wouldn't be "honorable" or "fair" if she didn't lose it in a real fight. So I guess she has some self-destructive tendencies going on, though she definitely doesn't see it that way-- she thinks she NEEDS to risk her life in order to be viewed as 'valid' by her fellow Yuks. She doesn't have much support, so often results to a life of isolation and reclusivity. My god I rambled a lot abt her LOL. I LIKE HER A LOT OK...

Also to clarify about yuk/krud terminology-- 'Yuks' are an umbrella term for the whole group of Insektors that are dull colors and don't fly, while 'Kruds' are specifically the Yuks that live in Krud City. So every Krud is a Yuk but not every Yuk is a Krud! Joyces and Verigreens are the same-- they're only 'Verigreens' if they live in Flowered City. Also I saw Saw X today finallY!!!! it was so fucking good lol.

[onenicebugperday]

Multiple bug blessings from rosy maple moths! How nice! You said the lady friend was gone when you got back to take pics of the dobsonflies, but in your photos I only see a female. Males have enormous mandibles!

went camping in townsend vermont and encountered so so so many rosy maple moths, two mating dobsonflies (tho the lady friend was gone when i got back with my phone) and a couple cool moths i can't identify

@onenicebugperday tagging you just for the enjoyment of seeing more bugges! id of the last two buddies is welcome but not necessary

[bean-of-the-buggy-bugs]

Here are some pictures that I took of a moth. They aren’t great… but the moth is cool :)

Also: my fiancé caught a pic of this fella

[ronthafrog]

hellgrammite!!! (eastern dobsonfly nymph)

I love these so much, their patterns are so beautiful. They can bite pretty hard, but i’ve never had one bite me at all. otherwise they’re harmless!

you can see its abdominal gills as well, which are really fucking cool !!

[spiny-ant]

THE BADASS BUG BRACKET

ROUND 1, BRACKET 9

Eastern Dobsonfly (corydalus cornutus) vs Baphomet Moth (Creatonotos gangis)

Eastern Dobsonfly propaganda: THEYRE BIG AND BEAUTIFUL AND EVERYWHERE. THE MALES HAVE HUGE PINCERS AND THEIR LARVAE ARE CALLED HELLGRAMMITES!!!!!!!!!!!

Baphomet Moth propaganda: (none given)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Hell

beautiful words with "hell" to try to include in your poem/story

Hellacious - exceptionally powerful or violent; remarkably good; extremely difficult; extraordinarily large

Helladic - of or relating to the Bronze Age culture of the Greek mainland lasting from about 2500 to 1100 b.c.

Helladotherium - a genus of extinct Pliocene giraffes of Greece and Asia Minor

Hellbender - a large aquatic usually brownish-gray salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of streams of the eastern and central U.S.

Hell-bent - stubbornly and often recklessly determined or intent

Hellbox - a receptacle into which a printer throws damaged or discarded type material

Hellbroth - a brew for working black magic

Hellcat - witch; a violently temperamental person

Hell-diver - a pied-billed grebe or other rather small grebe i.e., any of a family (Podicipedidae) of swimming and diving birds closely related to the loons but having lobed toes

Helldog - hellhound (i.e., a dog represented in mythology as a guardian of the underworld; a fiendish person)

Hellebore - a poisonous herb (genus Veratrum) of the lily family

Helleborine - any of several orchids

Hellenize - to become Greek or Hellenistic

Helleri - swordtail i.e., a small brightly marked Central American live-bearer (Xiphophorus helleri) often kept in tropical aquariums and bred in many colors

Hellfire - the eternal fire of hell that tortures sinners

Hellgrammite - a carnivorous aquatic North American insect larva that is the young form of a dobsonfly (especially Corydalis cornutus) and is used for fish bait

Hellhole - a place of extreme misery or squalor

Hellion - a troublesome or mischievous person

Hellish - of, resembling, or befitting hell; broadly: terrible

Hellkite - one that shows hellish cruelty

Hellmouth - a property in a medieval mystery or miracle play representing the entrance of hell as the gaping jaws sometimes with moving joints of a monster resembling a whale

Hellroot - small broomrape i.e., a broomrape (Orobanche minor) having a loose spike of flowers with two basal bracts and a corolla with rounded lobes

Hell's bells - used especially to express impatience or irritation

Hellscape - a hellish landscape; a harshly unpleasant place or environment

If any of these words inspire your writing, do tag me or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!

More: Word Lists ⚜ Heaven

[pelecinus-polyturator]

recent pins. still reconstructing the longhorn, he needs some legs glued on.

Eastern Dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus

Northeastern Pine Sawyer, Monochamus notatus

Luna Moth, Actias luna

[onenicebugperday]

@lifeisa-struggle-man submitted: Some cute creatures from southeastern usa 💜💜 love the blog! Have a great day☺️

I love them all but wow that is the most perfect luna moth I've ever seen

[cringedog]

woa new profile picture ur a creature

TRULYYYY i am the eastern dobsonfly larva also known as the hellgramite they are some of my favorite aquatic macroinvertebrates. here is one that i caught recently!

he is my best friend... i hope he became a beautiful dobsonfly and then died within a few days as is his nature <3

[dougdimmadodo]

Fast Fauna Fact #23 - Three-Toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum)

Family: Amphiuma Family (Amphiumidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Though eel-like in appearance (with long, slimy bodies, vertically-flattened paddle-like tails and internal gills that are retained even in adulthood) the three species of amphiumas are actually large salamanders adapted to a fully-aquatic way of life, and can be distinguished from one another by the number of toes at the end of their tiny vestigial legs (either three, two, or a single small nub of a toe.) Endemic to the southern USA, Three-Toed Amphiumas live mainly in densely vegetated swamps, lakes and slow-moving rivers where they spend much of the day hidden in burrows or among submerged plants, emerging at night to prey on worms, aquatic insects and smaller vertebrates which they catch using two rows of short, sharp teeth. Although they spend much of their lives underwater and are extremely vulnerable to predators and environmental conditions when not submerged Three-Toed Amphiumas possess simple lungs in addition to gills and may crawl to new bodies of water during particularly rainy nights, although when faced with prolonged drought or a lack of food they may also retreat underground and enter a dormant state until conditions improve.

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Image Source: Here

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[todaysbug]

December 13th, 2023

Eastern Dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus)

Distribution: Found throughout eastern North America, from Canada down to Mexico.

Habitat: Found in or near fast-flowing, unpolluted rivers and streams; larvae live on the stream bottom, while adults are terrestrial (though remain around bodies of water).

Diet: Larvae are active predators, feeding on small invertebrates such as insects, other arthropods, molluscs and worms; preference for the larvae of blackflies, caddisflies and mayflies. Adult females feed on nectar, while males are not known to feed.

Description: Eastern dobsonflies are large, solitary insects. Their most obvious characteristic is the males' oversized mandibles, which can reach up to half the length of its body. Despite the adults' fearsome appearance, however, they're quite harmless. Larvae, however, have powerful mandibles and the capacity to deliver a painful bite.

Dobsonfly larvae, also known as hellgrammites, are commonly used as bait for fishermen. They're important predators of invertebrates in stream ecosystems, and are a natural enemy of blackflies. In habitats where fish are small or absent, large hellgrammites may be the largest predator in the water.

(Images by Kailyn Lianne Liu (adult) and Even Dankowicz (larva))

[sharkyuwu]

Big-ass bug I found at work today.

A female Eastern Dobsonfly (corydalus cornutus)

Thought it was cool. Crazy to think that it’ll only be alive for like a week or two before mating then dying. Sometimes I envy them…