Dobsonfly
Characteristics: Dobsonflies appear to be quite fearsome, having what appears to be tentacle-like appendages for mouth parts. In fact, the males of the species cannot even bite though females can deliver quite a painful bite if agitated. Males are also the only one of the species that have the identifiable long mandibles. Females have short mandibles. Dobsonflies can be spotted by these long mandibles that can be nearly half the length of their bodies. Their large wings cover most of their abdomen surface when viewed from the above. Dobsonflies begin life as aquatic larvae before graduating as an airborne insect. They are primarily nocturnal (night dwellers) and are naturally drawn to light sources at night. Larvae appear looking very much like centipedes early on while adults keep watch nearby.
General Adult Size (Length):
50mm to 127mm
(1.97in to 5.00in)
Identifying Colors: black; brown; gray
North American reach includes (may not be limited to): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Category: Alderfly or Dobsonfly
Common Name: Dobsonfly
Scientific Name: (Corydalus cornutus)
 Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Megaloptera
Family: Corydalidae
Genus: Corydalus
Species: cornutus
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